


Grimdark

by jeralee



Category: DmC: Devil May Cry
Genre: Disturbing Themes, Explicit Language, F/M, Flirting, Horror, Implied Sexual Content, Lemon, Love, Lust, Obsession, Psychological Horror, Reader-Insert, Sex, Sexual Tension, Shameless Smut, Smut, Tags Are Fun, Unrequited Love, Unrequited Lust, Weirdness, reader has an alcoholic useless dad, things get crazy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-07-06 06:31:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15880470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeralee/pseuds/jeralee
Summary: Prequel to DmC.Never judge a book by its cover. Vergil's search for Dante leads him to Devil Dalliance, where he meets you.DmC Reboot Vergil x Reader





	1. The Blue Rose

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, this is my first story on Ao3. I've never written here before but wanted to give it a go. I used to post up on fanfiction and you will see my other DMC fics there. I've written 1 OG Dante x OC, 1 DmC Dante x OC fic and 1 OG Vergil x OC fic, so now trying my hand on DmC Vergil x Reader fic. 
> 
> I'm assuming this might be a long fic.
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

**THE BLUE ROSE**

* * *

 

...

...

...

"And up and two, and three and four. Beautiful, [Y/N], beautiful."

You danced in the centre of a brightly lit stage in rhythm and in tune to the jovial music that was emitting from a piano. You wore an elegant smile on your face, your chin poised in the air with confidence, arms raised high in the air gracefully whilst you twirled and danced. You loved the attention. Everyone was watching you, all eyes on you.

"Retiré devant and grand jeté! Perfect! Now turn! Plie, and jump!"

With the music growing louder and louder, the tempo becoming faster and livelier, you adjusted your pace. Arms high, legs wide, back arched. Your feet thudded over the floorboards, the ground creaking with each timed step and leap and landing. Your heart was thudding, adrenaline thrumming through your veins. Dancing made you feel so alive, so happy. You closed your eyes as you could almost picture it... you would be in full costume, the audience would be bathed in darkness... and you would be dancing, dancing to your heart's content. The music would stop and then all would go silent, before applause would erupt from the crowd...roses would be thrown at your feet. So close...just three days, three more days and then it would be your big day, your big moment. Oh, how long you have waited for this...

Finally, the music stopped and you stopped too, panting slightly, head thrown back to face the ceiling gracefully, arms held behind you, your feet tucked neatly in fifth position. There. Finished. It was done. You hoped your performance had been...perfect. No, it was. It most definitely was.

At first, there was silence and then the applause came.

"Lovely work, [Y/N]. Wonderful performance as always. That was absolute perfection."

You returned to stand, breathing heavily, smiling as you curtsied. "Thanks."

"The performance is in three days...make sure you also practise at home and eat healthy, get lots of rest."

Nodding, you abruptly left the stage and grabbed your bag from the side. Sitting with your peers, you chatted with them regarding the upcoming performance and changed out of your ballet shoes and into your sneakers. Grabbing the rest of your outdoor wear, you left the school and into the streets, staring up at the darkening sky. You were in a good mood. You had practised and rehearsed for such a long time and finally it had happened. You'd been chosen to play the lead in a small ballet production company, but it was a good way to get your foot in the door. There would be lots of people watching the performance. You would be seen, you could be scouted...there would be plenty of opportunities for you... And then one day, you figured, you would be able to make it and be able to leave Limbo City and -

"Look out!"

Huh?

You stopped in the intersection and turned to see a pair of headlights coming your way.

* * *

**THREE YEARS LATER.**

* * *

 

A bunch of letters were sticking out of the mailbox in a sad pile.

Frowning, you grabbed them and stormed inside the apartment complex. Clearly, dad hadn't bothered to pick up the mail as usual. Dumping them on the last step of the staircase, you sat down and went through them individually. Five of them were useless leaflets. Three were late notices for the rent, electricity and gas. Two were letters from the hospital, informing you that your payment for medical care and physical therapy was overdue. The final letter was not a letter at all, but a piece of folded paper where the words "PAY NOW OR DIE" was scribbled messily in red ink. Your nose caught whiff of the smell that radiated from the letter and you shivered. Blood.

Huffing, you got up from the steps and slipped into the lounge where a middle-aged, fat and bald man sat slumped in a simple but dirty armchair with his feet propped up on a makeshift leg stool consisting of your gym bag. Your dad. A small table stood beside him, covered in multiple empty beer bottles and cans, along with a half-eaten pizza slice that was attracting flies. The cheese and toppings were looking a little mouldy...

Sidestepping away from the disgusting display, you grabbed your gym bag away from beneath his feet in rage and moved in front of the TV, effectively blocking the view of the obese man. "Dad. Get off the couch and stop watching TV."

Earnestly, you weren't even sure if he was paying the slightest of attention to you.

"Wha...what do you want?" He slurred as he tried to rise out of his throne; his chin was greasy and slick with oil, his beard thick and crusty with what looked like old food and flakes of dead skin.

"Another warning letter arrived today."

"What letter?" He barked, frowning. "Move outta the way...I was watching the game.."

"I'm not moving until you tell me that you're going to do something and pay off your debts, dad!" You hissed, waving the letters in the air in exasperation and anger. "The gas, the electricity, the water...our food...when are you going to do something about it?! About this?! All of this?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

His jaw went slack, his eyes were dilated and a glob of drool leaked out from the corner of his mouth and over his wobbling chin. Drunk. "...Fuck off, you dumb bitch."

Gritting your teeth, you finally felt the thread snap. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

You've had so many arguments with him that the only response was a snarl as he tried to get up from the sofa but to no avail. You watched him struggle for a few moments before eventually giving up, emitting an agonising and tired croak. "...Don't you have work to go to or something..."

Roaring in frustration and spewing forth a stream of obscenities known to man at him, you turned and stomped out of the flat, slamming the door shut, the handle of your gym bag clamped tightly in your fist. You hated him. Everything about that vile man who was your father. Shoving your hands into your pockets, you trudged down the steps and into the dank and dirty streets on your own, ignoring the flashing neon signs and the roar of cars zooming past. The street were busy with tonnes of people walking up and down and there were adverts flashing everywhere, all telling you to drink Virility to achieve a 'hot bod'. Limbo City was alive but you felt dead inside. With your eyes trained on the ground, you deliberately avoided the cracks on the dirty slabs.

_"And up and two, and three and four. Beautiful, [Y/N], beautiful."_

Ahh... why were you thinking about that day? You had forced yourself to forget but the memories kept resurfacing. Your lips wobbling, you looked at your legs and sniffed slightly, then stretched your leg forward slowly, then took two steps, three, then four.

_"Retiré devant and grand jeté! Perfect!"_

You lifted your arms in the air, placing your right leg behind your left, ignoring the looks you received from passer-bys; good, you still remembered the pose...

_"Now turn! Plie, and jump!"_

You pushed off your right foot but then a searing hot pain stabbed you in the ankle and you cried out, falling out of your position immediately and landing on the dirty ground. Your expression crumbled at your failure.

_It's no use..._

Crestfallen, you picked yourself back up and continued your journey silently and it would only be a matter of minutes until you would arrive at your destination: The Devil's Dalliance.

You avoided the front door where a long queue of loyal patrons were waiting to be let in by the huge, intimidating bouncers and sauntered to the back of the building; you paused when the door for employees flung open wildly and a barely dressed man and woman came leaping out. The woman was quick to leave the scene, scampering across the car lot with her clothes bundled in arms whilst throwing cautious looks over her shoulders now and then. The man was half naked and with his pants around his ankles; he almost bumped into you if you hadn't sidestepped to evade him. Spotting you and eyeing you from head to toe, he gave you a wide grin.

"Hey, babe." He greeted you, giving you a wink, and you rolled your eyes. Another girl followed him out, cursing and wearing nothing but white silken lingerie and a pair of angel wings as she hobbled on ten-inch high heels, throwing a barrage of objects at him ranging from a cigarette lighter, a high heel shoe and finally, a bra.

"Fuck you, Dante! Fuck you!" She was screaming.

And the young man was trying to put his pants back on, lifting them over his exposed buttocks and up to his waist whilst trying to buckle his belt. "Babe, it's not what you think - I didn't mean...listen, uh...Rachel, this is all just a misunderstanding - "

"Misunderstanding my ass! And my name is Jade! JADE!" screamed the enraged angel girl.

You passed the couple without batting an eyelid and towards the door. "Hey, Dante, hey Jade."

"Hey, [Y/N]." greeted the fuming girl. Turning to the dark-haired young man who was still grinning, she screamed, "Get the fuck out of my face! I don't want to see you here ever again!" The girl called Jade was yelling non-stop, her voice shrill and squeaky. It was giving you a headache.

"Hey, you forgot my Triple Six!" yelled Dante.

Grabbing a bottle of "666" off the floor which was allegedly his, Jade threw it at him with all her might, then slammed the door in his face. Outside and you could hear him laughing.

You stepped into the corridor and made your way towards the door on the far left. Pushing the door open to reveal a burlesque-themed room, you saw a group of blond women standing in one corner, chatting with cigarettes balancing in their hands and dressed in nothing but the same skimpy white lingerie, angel wings and matching stilettos which were the staple uniform of the nightclub. You didn't pay much attention to them aside from greeting them and they also greeted you in return. Settling your bag down on the nearest chair, you unzipped your hoodie, removed your top and pants, leaving yourself in your undies - which were also the club's white bra and tiny thong uniform - and you pulled your bobble off, letting your hair down. Plopping yourself on a cold chair in front of the huge vanity mirror, you took out your stilettos from your bag and slipped them on, inspecting the heels at the same time. They were becoming a little worn. You didn't have money to buy a new pair. Grabbing your pair of angel wings that were hanging off the wall where your name was scribbled on a piece of paper and taped on top, she started unfastening the hooks just as Jade from before slipped into the dressing room with a growl.

"You okay?" You asked.

"Yeah." Jade bit out, fists curling; she was nibbling so hard on her lip there were lipstick stains dotted all over her teeth. "...Fucking asshole didn't even know my name..."

"What happened?"

Jade could be heard sniffling next. "He was cheating on me."

"I'm so sorry, Jade..."

"He was cheating...!"

"Jade..."

"I-it's fine...I'm fine..."

"Don't cry over him. You deserve so much better." You said, trying to reassure her. However, Jade didn't seem to stop crying and instead, howled even louder and harder, causing the other girls to wander over to check if she was fine. You weren't sure what else to say in this instance. Listening to the other girls, they were all going on how about how much of a rat bastard Dante was. True, everyone knew about Dante. A devilishly handsome young man who enjoyed picking up girls, particularly the angels of the Devil's Dalliance. Jade was perhaps the only one who decided to get into a 'real' relationship with him. Agreeing with the group entirely, you said, "They're right. He's a cheating bastard. A dirty, lying, cheating bastard. He's not the right one for you."

Finally, the poor angel girl ceased her crying, reduced to helpless blubbering and hiccuping. "Yes!" She babbled, dabbing at her tear-stained face. "I hate him! I fucking hate him, [Y/N]! He deserves to rot in hell for what he did to me!" Glancing at you as you continued slipping off one hook after the other of the fluffy angel wings adornment, she said, "Gimme that, I'll do it for you."

"Okay..." You said, as Jade seized you by the shoulders and turned you round, affixing the angel wings on your back and ensuring they were sturdy and would not fall off, clipping them to your bra strap.

"And I'll do your makeup too." Jade hissed, swerving you round to face her.

"Sure."

This seemed to help lift Jade's spirits and the girl was eagerly helping you apply mascara, eyeliner and lipstick, albeit applying it on with a little more force than usual. She spun you to the mirror and you stared at your reflection. Your eyes were outlined with thick eyeliner and mascara, making your eyes more defined and your lips were the color of roses. Jade had overdid it again, but she seemed happy with her work. Once you were both ready, you left the changing rooms and to the dance floor where Jade split up to head to the bar and you lingered near the stages, staring at the dancers who were climbing up the poles and twirling around them effortlessly. You narrowly avoided some drunk customers who were dancing and grinding against their partners, laughing and downing bottles of alcohol one after the other continuously.

Suddenly, there was a rough grip on your wrist and you spun round to see a very drunk man before you... You recognised him immediately to be a regular customer who always asked the girls for private dances. Gilbert...Smith, Campbell...somebody, something. Sleazy as hell and also unfortunately ugly to boot. He'd asked you before too but you were always used to be able to reject him and turn him towards the attention to someone else who was willing to entertain him.

"Hey, Miss angel babe, I want a private dance." slurred Gilbert, positively reeking of booze and vomit and cigarette smoke.

"The stage is over there, Mr Gilbert. Take your pick." You said. Even if you hated this place and everything about it, you couldn't risk the job. It was important to you. It was an easy job too. All you had to do was stand around for a few hours, serve a few drinks, and when your legs or feet hurt, you could take a rest. Also, Madame Lilith took good care of you all, treating you like family. You were all her girls. After work and then you would go home. That was it.

"Nuh-uh, sweetcheeks...Not tonight...I know you - you're the one who always say 'no' to me...not this time." The drunk man swayed, giggling and grinning widely at you before he delved a hand into his pocket and took out a few fifty dollar bills, waving them at your face. "How much will it cost ya?"

 _You can take your money and shove it up your ass_ , was what you really wanted to say, but before you _could_ say anything, a tall, dark figure stepped into view and manoeuvred between you and you glanced up to see a young man. Confusion swept across your face all at once.

"...She said 'no'." said the young man. The pounding dance music assaulting your ears made him a little hard to hear.

You watched in astonishment as Gilbert... a man of six foot two, weighing possibly over two hundred pounds... immediately shrink into his clothes, stepping backwards clumsily that he almost tripped over his own two feet. His expression that had been one of pure anger, had converted to one of pure fear. "S-sorry..." He croaked out, before he turned on his heel and started darting away from the younger man, disappearing amongst the dancing crowd. You stared wide-eyed at the spectacle.

And when the young man turned round to you, your jaw almost hit the floor. This man...! He looked exactly like -

"Dante?" Before you could help yourself, you had already spluttered out the name.

He gave you a thin smile, cocking his head to the side and you got a better look of him. Wait a minute. No, this was not Dante...he appeared to be the same height and possibly the same build, but this man was wearing different clothes...he was too well-dressed for the occasion... and despite the laser light show that constantly bathed the dancefloor in multiple lights, you could tell his hair was...white.

"Dante?" He repeated, his tone holding light endearment.

"Sorry, my mistake." You said quickly, before you made a move to leave, turning away from him. Good idea, Gilbert. This man meant trouble. Following Gilbert's example, you disappeared as quickly as you could into the crowd and towards the bar. Your lips were dry; you needed a drink... you hastily grabbed a cup from the shelves and poured yourself some water from the tap and slinked into the employee rest area. You enjoyed a few quiet moments to yourself until -

"Hey, [Y/N]. There you are."

You almost leapt out of your skin when Jade poked her head through the doorway. "Jade! What is it?"

"A customer's looking for you." She said nonchalantly, playing with a strand of her hair.

"Oh fuck, it's not Gilbert, is it?"

"Nope, someone saw him leaving a while ago."

Phew! You inwardly recited a thankful prayer to the heavens above. "Then who is it? I thought I was off dances now."

"It's a personal request. I heard it's some hot, rich-looking guy. He's waiting in room three. Sorry, but you need to go. No one is free right now, we're super busy tonight. I mean, look around you! It's crazy, total full house. I would love to go but I'm helping out at the bar." She sulked slightly.

"...Alright, I'll go." You said, with a wince. It's been a while since you danced...

Making your way to room three, you anxiously grasped the door and took a deep inhale and an equally long exhale. Pushing down on the gold handle, you entered the room only to see the same attractive young man from before who had assisted in getting Gilbert's filthy, mucky mitts off you, sitting on the plush velvet sofa with his legs and arms crossed. Your breath caught in your throat immediately and your heart thudded a little harder than before.

_What...this guy...? Seriously...?_

You stood silently in shock, hand unmoving on the handle.

"[Y/N], was it?" He spoke first, smiling gently. Gesturing to the door, he added, "Can you close the door, please?"

Stunned, you obliged and shut the door behind you quietly, then turned to him. "What do you want?" You said, flicking some hair over your shoulder. As you took in his features, you noted the following: _Black trench coat that has been exquisitely tailored, looks expensive. Designer, obviously. Silver watch on left wrist. No ring. Unmarried. Young. Maybe early twenties. That smell... not cheap aftershave, that's for sure. More expensive stuff. Cologne. Definitely a rich guy. Rich and powerful, perhaps. But what's he doing here? Virgin? Bachelor party? Visitor? Tourist? Or maybe he's sick and has a kink, some sick fetish...maybe a fan of BDSM...or maybe he's a serial killer._

He looked at you from head to toe as though oblivious to your mental scrutiny of him, and although you'd been subjected to perverted gazes by male customers who stepped foot in the establishment before, something about his gaze made your uncomfortable for a different reason. However, you forced yourself to stand and not to make any effort to cover yourself up, crossing your arms and shifting all your weight to your left leg.

"How long do you plan to stare at me?"

"My apologies." He finally averted his gaze to the floor. That smile was still plastered on his face, however.

You stalked over to the side where a bottle of champagne was placed gingerly in an ice bucket and removed the cork carefully, grabbed a glass and poured some inside. "Champagne, sir?" You muttered under your breath, without looking at him.

"No, thank you." He replied, as you finished filling the glass.

You stilled, the glass balancing in your hand and the golden liquid sloshing inside, before you turned and sauntered towards him, taking long strides until you were standing before him. He looked up at you as you towered above him. "Then let's get right to it, shall we?"

You settled the glass on the table and lowered yourself to the floor in front of him, your legs touching the soft, fluffy carpet, before you proceeded to climb over him on all fours and rose to settle over his knees, sinking yourself into his lap and straddling him as you had been trained by the rest of the girls at the club. Placing your hands on his shoulders, he glanced left and right to your palms before looking up at you. His expression did not change. Underneath your palms and you felt the crispy smooth fabric of his coat before you swept your hands to the back of his neck, your fingers weaving through thin strands of silky hair. He seemed undeterred by your bold advances and the sudden invasion of his private space, especially when your face appeared millimetres before his. Now you could really see his features in more detail.

_Light blue eyes, almost silvery grey, white hair. Not old at all. Very strange, especially with that resemblance to Dante...they must be related..._

"You're very handsome." You murmured, your lips hovering close to each other. "You don't have a girlfriend, do you?"

"No."

"I figured, otherwise she'd be very upset if she caught you in a place like this."

He chuckled and said, "Dante."

"...Excuse me?"

"You said his name when you saw me." He replied, and your grip loosened on his neck as he met your gaze, unwavering. "Do I remind you of someone you know?"

"Oh, about that...I'm sorry for the mistake. Let's not talk about it, shall we?" You murmured absentmindedly as you slid your gaze casually to the side. _I don't like this conversation... what is he up to? What does he want?_ Removing your hands from his neck, you took his necktie instead and began untying it, the flimsy blue material slipping between your fingers effortlessly.

"I have a few questions." He added, he seemed oblivious to everything you were doing. Most men would've jizzed in their pants by now.

"You only have fifteen minutes with me." You said as you removed his tie and draped it over yourself, then began running your hands up and down his chest, slipping your hands beneath the folds of his coat and over his shirt. It was also very nice to touch, no doubt, another rich material.

He chuckled. "Yes, I'm very aware."

"...And yet, you want to spend it by talking to me... wouldn't you rather have _sex_?" You whispered the last word in his ear as you slid your hand further down his chest and to his waist, near his pants.

Yet again, his expression did not budge. "Talking is fine."

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes." He said, clearly unaffected, and you looked at him incredulously. _Is he gay?_  You thought, a little troubled by the notion if it was true. "I'm here purely for business."

"Perhaps I can change your mind?" Grinding yourself near his crotch deliberately, hips rolling as you imitated the position of a woman on top. He watched your movements briefly, then flicked his glance to you as you leaned over and licked the shell of his ear enticingly, before you took his large, cold hands in yours and made him caress your breasts. 

His eyebrow rose in response. "I believed there was a no touching rule."

"You can touch all you want." You murmured, and there was a brief moment of silence as you continued licking his ear before moving to his jaw and neck, although when you let go of his hands, he pulled away from your body.

"How often does Dante come?" He said aloud.

Again, with Dante. You retreated from his nape, sitting upright. "...We don't keep track of him, but he's a regular customer."

"And do you work full-time or part-time, [Y/N]?"

"Part-time."

"Very good." He said, "I'd like to ask you a favor."

"Such as?"

"If you see Dante, let me know." Rising slightly from his seat, you stared wide-eyed as he reached inside his pocket and proceeded to pull out an intact, beautiful blue rose wrapped in clear cellophane which he presented to you. You stared at the rose in muted shock as he pressed it into your hand for your taking. You were taken aback by the gesture but then realised there was nothing on the clear wrapping at all as you turned it around as you had believed. As you marveled the flower, he slowly eased you off him, his hands landing on your hips and you leapt slightly from the contact. It had been the most softest touch, gentle but precise, and with his hands on your hips, he gingerly lifted you off his lap and placed you on the seat beside him, then stood and made his way to the door, opening it.

"There's nothing here." You muttered as you inspected the rose, glancing up at him; you held the flower limply in your hand. "What is the meaning of this?"

Turning to you, he said, "I'm sure you can figure it out yourself." Grabbing his homburg which he'd left on the coat hanger, he put it on and tilted his hat at you politely. "Goodnight, [Y/N]."


	2. The Old Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, thanks for reading, the kudos and the comments :) I'm glad you are enjoying this fic. Enjoy the mystery, the tension and some limey stuff. Here is chapter 2!

* * *

**THE "OLD MAN"**

* * *

...

...

...

 _I wonder who inspired me to dance_ , you thought as you sat in the grimy hospital bed, waiting for the doctor to come.

You had just woke up, discovering yourself in an unfamiliar place and there was a nurse tending to you. You hadn't the faintest idea where you were until the nurse told you that you had been admitted to Limbo City Hospice and that you were in a coma for two weeks since the ordeal. A drunk driver had collided with you that night and there was only one witness - a girl called _Jade Garcia_ who was at the scene of the crime coincidentally - and also the one who called the ambulance for you and took down the registry plate of the car as it sped away from the scene. When you were comatose, you dreamed of watching a figure dancing to a slow, melancholic tune. It was probably the person who inspired you to dance, but you could not recall who it was or where you had seen this person dance. It could have been on a TV show or some recital you attended when you were younger. The memories were fuzzy.

Glancing down at your legs, you saw that they were heavily bandaged and supported by casts. On your bedside table were a few 'Get Well Soon' cards from the ballet school. When you tried to move your legs, you didn't find them very responsive at all. "Where's my dad?" You asked.

"We've been trying to reach your father since you were admitted but he doesn't pick up our calls or respond to our voicemails and we've sent a few people to your house, but no-one opens the door. Do you have any other relatives?"

Your face fell. Dad hadn't even come to see you, not once...? "I don't have anyone else." You mumbled glumly under your breath and the nurse's expression softened into one of sympathy.

"We'll make your stay here very comfortable, Miss [L/N]." said the nurse, in an effort to cheer you up. "Oh look, here comes Doctor Wayne. He'll be speaking to you this morning so you understand your situation a little better."

You glanced away from the kind nurse to the man in the white coat who came waltzing up to the bed. "Goooooood morning, Miss [L/N]l, glad to see that you've woken up... how are you feeling today?"

You weren't in a talking mood so you subjected him to a blank look and remained silent.

"Right, let's have a looksee at your report..." The doctor plucked the clipboard off the front of the bed and scrutinized the contents thoroughly.

"Will I be able to walk?" You said. You wanted to know. You _had_ to know.

"Oh, yes, Miss [L/N]. The operation was very successful. You can walk fine, but... try not to place any unnecessary strain on your legs. Running, sprinting, dancing, probably not a good idea."

Your blood turned cold. "...What?" You croaked, "You mean...I won't be able to dance ever again?"

Doctor Wayne removed his glasses, put down the clipboard and nodded. "Yes - "

"No." You said quickly. "No, no, NO!" You yelled, your voice rising considerably, face going red as tears began streaming down your face. " _No!_ "

Doctor Wayne and the nurse backed away immediately. "Doctor. Shall we give her some Haloperidol?" muttered the nurse.

"Won't be necessary, she's just in shock. Let her calm down first." Doctor Wayne uttered in response; he turned to you once again, smiling as gently as he could, "We understand, Miss [L/N]. You will recover from this but in order to do so, we recommend physical therapy which we can discuss later. For now...We'll leave you alone for a while and come back to discuss further."

You watched them leave hurriedly, then buried your face in your hands. _It's over..._ _Everything I've been working on...my career, my life... Everything! I...I can't believe it..._ At the revelation, you cried and shook your head and wailed. You felt terribly alone. You cursed the fates, cursed the one responsible for this. How could god be so cruel? How could this happen? What did you do to deserve this? Why? Why _you_? Dancing meant everything to you, meant the world to you. Everything! How could this be...?

* * *

**PRESENT, 1 WEEK LATER.**

**5AM.**

You woke up to the obnoxious ringing of the alarm clock. You hadn't particularly forgotten about the encounter with the white-haired, mysterious Dante look-alike, nor did you manage to get a wink of sleep for all that mattered, but now it was morning and you got up, emitting a loud yawn. You practised some morning leg exercises which you would have to perform for the rest of your life, stretching them and making circles in the air, toes pointed. Then you reached over to the bedside table and grabbed your glasses and put them on. The blue rose sat on the window ledge in a makeshift small vase consisting of a pencil tub which was filled with water from the tap. You stared at it for a few moments, before you reached over and carefully ran a fingertip over one petal. It was soft and silky to touch.

Who was he? He'd definitely left an impression on you since you hadn't quite been able to forget him and it'd been a week. It occurred to you that you never asked him for his name that night, but then again you never did bother to find out anything else about your customers let alone their names (so what difference it make?). You did find yourself wondering if you would see him again or if it was a one-off encounter.

The thoughts stopped there as it was time to get ready for your not-so-fulfilling job at the diner. You got changed out of your pyjamas and into work attire - a dirty, grubby polo shirt that was covered in stains and a pair of comfortable jogging pants. You brushed your teeth in the tiny bathroom, washed your face, combed your hair. Since it was just work at the diner, you didn't bother making yourself look too presentable, keeping your glasses on and absolutely no makeup at all. You stared at your tired and exhausted reflection in the mirror. Where did the years go...? Your skin was dull and dry...the years had been unkind to you, taking its toll. You went downstairs where you saw dad sitting in the armchair, snoring loudly and surrounded by empty beer bottles (the number had significantly increased compared to yesterday). Annoyed at the mess he'd made since you'd tidied up after him last night after work, you did your best to clean up after him, grabbing all the bottles and dumping them into the trash can in the kitchen. At the same time you filled the kettle with water and let it boil on the countertop. Whilst you waited you returned to the lounge, picking up old newspapers, dirty socks and empty Chinese takeaway boxes. The entire time, dad snored loudly on the couch.

 _Urgh...he reeks...when was the last time he took a shower?_ You had to hold your nose as you passed him; you left him the way he was, knowing very well that he would wake up later in the afternoon with no recollection of the events of the day prior and would just resume in watching his TV and engorging himself with pizza and booze. You didn't drink beer so to know that dad actually got off his fat ass to go out and buy something surprised you a great deal. Now if only he could do something about that debt of his...

After you had breakfast which consisted of a tiny bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee, you grabbed your rucksack and started slipping on your shoes on at the landing. "Dad?" You said, glancing at the lounge.

The snoring intensified.

Shaking your head with a sigh, you popped in your earphones and left the apartment silently.

...

**7AM.**

You arrived at the diner ten minutes late. Luckily, the managers and the rest of the kitchen staff were too busy to notice you and you quickly disappeared behind the kitchen, noticing that the diner seemed more busier than usual... the amount of customers had tripled compared to yesterday.

"Morning [Y/N], it's gonna be a busy morning again today." said a kind-looking, gentle woman serving at the cash machine.

"Morning Jen." You greeted her politely as you slipped into the kitchen, put your belongings to the side and found your rubber gloves, slipping them on. In the corner was a large plastic bucket filled to the brim with dishes that were waiting for you along with a damp sponge and a bottle of washing detergent. Glancing to the sink, you saw that it was being reserved for thawing frozen chickens. You couldn't help but grumble slightly.

It would be two hours when the repetitive task of lather, rinse and repeat would take its toll and you would start to feel fed up and wondering when today's shift would be over, yet the plates and cutlery would keep piling up and up no matter how many were washed. Wiping your brow free of sweat, you placed your sponge down in the murky water of the bucket where bits of half-eaten food and brown bubbles floated around on the surface...then you threw a tired glance at your surroundings. The kitchen was hot and noisy. Your head was beginning to hurt.

Just then, a waitress entered the kitchen and dumped a huge load of dishes by your side. "Thanks, [Y/N]." The waitress said casually, before turning on her heel and disappearing into the dining area whilst you groaned inwardly at the new workload.

...

**2PM.**

Finally, the shift was over. You watched as the next dishwasher (or Kitchen Porter, according to her CV) arrived and took your place for the late afternoon shift. Leaving the diner, you bought yourself a sandwich and cool drink for lunch and then headed to the bank where you joined the queue for the ATM machine to pay off the bills you'd brought with you in the bag. With letters in hands, you checked your bank balance.

$2047.56

 _Let's see here... the water is $84...electricity is $106, gas is $65...rent is $1200._ You checked your remaining balance.

$592.56

You stared hard at your account balance. You needed to withdraw an additional $50 to cover for this week's expenses, namely grocery shopping and transport.

$542.56

Your medical bills came next. It cost $180, which you subtracted from the balance.

$362.56

You looked at the remaining balance owlishly.

_This is all I have left? My entire life savings...Seriously? I've been working for three years now. Maybe I should get another job..._

_..._

**8PM.**

Your second job was at the Devil's Dalliance; two hours into your shift and you were stationed at the bar, wiping down the countertop where a messy and sticky beer stain was ruining the pretty marble when Jade sidled over to you with a wide grin and poked you in the waist playfully. "Way to make an impression, girl!" She exclaimed cheerfully, whilst you jumped and rubbed at the spot where you'd just been jabbed. "Remember that rich guy who came last week and you served him in room three?"

"Who?" You replied absent-mindedly.

"That old man dressed in black."

You stopped wiping the counter. "What old man?" Now you were extremely confused.

"Don't play dumb. You know who I'm talking about...that super-rich old man who's like widowed or something. The girls are saying that he's come back to see you, and he's paid _double_!"

"...Double?" You said, eyebrow raised, "...So...thirty minutes? With me?"

"Yeah. Now get in there! He's waiting for you!"

With urgent customer demand suddenly appearing from out of the blue, you left the bar scene, slightly disoriented as you didn't recall serving any rich old men last week, and you made your way to the corridor where the private rooms were, finding room three where your customer was waiting. You opened the door only to reveal the mysterious young gentleman who gave you the blue rose a week ago and did a double take. Huh? Were the girls playing some kind of practical joke on you? Was this for real? Although...you had to admit you were pleasantly surprised to see that he was here and waiting patiently for you on the couch. It was indeed the gentleman from last time, the Dante look-alike.

"Good evening, Miss." He said. He sat regally on the sofa with his legs crossed, his gloved hands clasped together. His attire was slightly different than the last time, however; he was wearing a black suit jacket with blue shirt and dress pants, his shoes shiny and polished. You were definitely seeing a trend in his fashion sense. He was dressed head to toe in designer. Most customers wore sweatpants and t-shirts...

 _And he is most definitely not an old man at all._ You thought to yourself. _Am I missing something here?_ Trying not to show that you were rather excited to see him, you folded your arms, blowing a strand of hair that was falling over your eyes. "You're too polite...just '[Y/N]' is fine." You said dully, trying hard to pretend that you were not excited by his appearance...and his request to see you. "I didn't think you would return, considering you didn't seem to enjoy talking to me last time. You didn't look like you enjoyed yourself at all."

"I apologize if I had given you the impression that I hadn't enjoyed your company. That wasn't my intention."

"So why are you here and asking to see me nonetheless? They said you even paid double this time. Truly, I'm flattered."

"I don't recall you contacting me."

Aha, so it was revolving around Dante again. They must be brothers, since they were identical. Twins, perhaps. "Oh, so that's the reason. And here I thought you missed me and were dying to see me again. Way to hurt a girl's feelings."

"I asked you a favor."

"Well, I'm very busy. Also, most men are simple and leave their numbers on napkins...they don't leave behind nothing else but blue roses."

You had been trained to do a few things: waste as much time, get the customer as drunk as a fish, rake in as much cash as possible. This meant endless conversation, some light teasing, maybe throw in a lap dance or some heavy petting. That way, fifteen minutes would easily pass and the customer, wasted, would not suspect anything less. A good example of a classic sucker was Dante. For this situation, how would half an hour span out?

As you contemplated, he said, "I enjoyed your company and hoped we could make our meetings frequent. Once a week, for example. Will that make you happy?" He spoke so casually yet his voice was full of affection for you. It was new to you and your eyes widened slightly in response. He wanted to meet you frequently... _once a week_...? You never had this before. A customer had never said to you before that he wanted to make it a weekly thing. If this kept up, maybe he'd give you gifts even.

Finally, you gave him a smile and he smiled in return. Turning to the champagne bucket, you grabbed the bottle and uncorked it, pouring some into the awaiting glass. Champagne for the good sir! This time...you were going to make sure he accepted it. Hell, you could do with some booze in your system too, actually. With glass in hand, you took careful strides towards him, noticing that his gaze never left your form, not once. He did not protest either, as though he had been waiting for you to approach. Stopping in front of him, you sunk one knee into the couch and gently pushed him to rest against the sofa, then proceeded to climb over him and into his lap. Again, he didn't particularly look at what you were doing or the fact that your cleavage was in front of his face; instead, his gaze was focused on you solely. You draped your arm around his neck and purred, "Champagne, sir?"

He gave you a brief nod of approval and you lifted the glass to his lips and tipped it gently, enabling him to take a sip. When he finished, you poured another glass for him and he accepted, drinking it all. You poured one more but he refused, so you put the glass down behind you on the glass table and turned to him, brushing some hair that had fallen over his brow before lowering your hand to trace the soft outline of his rounded jaw.

"Any sign of Dante?" He asked in a hushed murmur, watching you as you stroked his cheek.

"Not this week I'm afraid."

"I understand you haven't mentioned this to anyone else. Thank you." 

"This can be our little secret." You couldn't care less about his dealings with Dante, so determined to turn things round, you brought your face close to his. "Let's stop talking about Dante. Tonight, I want to find out more about _you_. What's your name?"

He hesitated briefly then said, "Vergil."

"You look tense, Vergil."

"Mm. Indeed I am."

You ran your thumb over his bottom lip. He was soft and warm to touch. "You don't have to be tense, not around me. No need to be shy, either. There's no-one else in this room except me and you. No-one has to know what happens behind these closed doors. We should start right now. You said you enjoy my company?"

"I do." He murmured, as he adjusted himself on the seat, shifting slightly so he was more comfortable. He kept you perched in his lap...and were you imagining things or was his face coming closer?

"Then let me help you relax. You can do whatever you want to me. Do you want to touch me?" You murmured as you let go of him and gently took his hand; slipping his suede glove off and leaving it by your thigh. With his full attention on you, you slid his index finger into your mouth and sucked on it, then took his finger out and ran his wet fingertip down the middle of your chest, down your stomach and stopped directly at the strap of your thong, "You can touch me here or _here_...anywhere you like."

He watched your display unflinchingly, letting his eyes wander down your body before he gradually returned his gaze to eye level. You didn't seem to have elicited any response from him at all. Unsure if he was testing you in some way or another, you would not let him get away with it tonight. You did not think he would do anything judging by how silent he had become, and believing that he may very well either needed some help or prodding (like most shy virgin boys do), you took both his hands again and made them glide over your waist and over the curve of your rear. "We can start here..." You muttered in a heated whisper, "And slowly move to here..." You guided his hands up the line of your spine and then to your breasts where you let him fondle for a while, pressing your chest into his large palms deliberately.

"[Y/N]." Vergil said firmly, and again, the way he said your name took you off guard.

 _Why did he say my name like as if he...he knows me, like he's close to me._ _Will it be stupid if I ask him if he knows me from somewhere?_ _No, no, now's not the time to get distracted...don't lose momentum. Time to bring out the big guns. Let's keep this up... let's rake this rich, virgin boy in._ Running your hands down his chest, you leaned over and murmured in his ear, "Mmm, your hands feel good on my skin..." You purred. However, when you felt him moving on his own accord, you let go of him and he let his hands encircle your hips instead, giving you a light squeeze. Such a virgin, judging by the delicacy of his touch. He was handling you as though you were made of porcelain. Pretending not to notice, you added, "Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Touch me more. I missed you. I was thinking about you all week. You make me all hot and bothered... I need you."

"Show me." He murmured, and when you looked up, your faces were close and his eyes were trained on your lips. "Show me how much you need me."

He seemed to have underwent a one hundred and eighty degree change. The corner of your lip tugged into a smirk. Damn right, you will show him; you will make sure he comes back every week, craving your touch and caress, your lips on his skin. You will make sure he cannot think of anything or anyone else but you. Licking your bottom lip in anticipation, you wound your hand around the back of his neck and into his hair, then closed the gap between you both, your lips meeting.

The kiss started off slow and gentle; you massaged his lips between yours tenderly, starting with his bottom lip before moving to his top lip. You were in full control here as he sat rigidly in his seat unmoving and with his eyes closed. His mouth was hot against yours but not needy and wanting. Yet. You almost forgot that you had to prove something here...to show how much you wanted him, as you sat perched in his lap, kissing as though you were actual lovers. With that in mind and a role to play, you gingerly cupped his jaw with one hand and tilted your head to one side, deepening the kiss, grazing his lips gently and letting your mouth linger over his before slowly retreating away. To your surprise, he seemed to be leaning in as though wanting more and your kisses grew deeper and deeper.

When you felt him parting his mouth for air, you slipped your tongue tentatively, licking his bottom lip. His brows furrowed and you felt his lips tug into a smirk before he applied pressure over your lips in return. It seemed to be working; Vergil's shoulders loosened slightly, relaxing under you. His hands moved from your waist, slowly sliding up your back and then to the sides of your face where he brushed some hair away and held you in place. You liked how careful he was with you whilst you nibbled on his bottom lip teasingly but affectionately. His touches were minimum but it was though he wanted to make every one count.

As much as you appreciated how gentle he was, you also wished he would demonstrate some form of loss of control, show that you were driving him wild with desire. Hoping this would push him over the edge, you started sucking on his bottom lip and then bit down playfully, before purposely pressing your body against his. He tensed all over again but not in the same manner as before. His hands left your face, trailing down the sides of your arms and back to your waist, lingering on your hips. You moaned against him, grabbing a fistful of his hair and jerking his head back, your mouths parting. You started kissing the thick column of his neck before you licked up his throat and to the base of his chin as seductively as you could; flicking your gaze to his as you retreated your tongue, he was concentrating on your every move with a steely but dark glint in his eyes... the look he was subjecting you to was dripping with _lust_.

"[Y/N]..." You heard him growl from the back of his throat before his grip on you increased; the sudden forcefulness took you by surprise for a split second. His eyes traveled down your body and back up but as he closed in, your lips almost touching -

_Bzz bzzz bzzz._

Everything went to a jarring halt. You pulled away out of reach and Vergil, seemingly displeased with the interruption, threw a cold glance to the timer on the counter near the ice bucket. "Oh dear, looks like your thirty minutes are up." You said, as you sat up in his lap. Thirty minutes had passed... and most of it was spent talking. Madame Lilith would be proud indeed. "If you'd like, you can pay for an extra fifteen minutes with me..."

The room fell silent for a few moments and you could really see it in his eyes - the need, the desire, the want... You forgot that sometimes customers actually fell in love with some dancers when in reality, the dancers were just doing their job...although Lilith's 'Touching Allowed' rule meant anything could happen here.

His hands loosened and you slid off his lap; the session was over and he would either pay up or take a hike. As you smoothed down your hair and pulled the strap of your bra back to its proper place, he adjusted his shirt, picked up his glove, cane and homburg hat by his side before striding to the exit. Before he left, he turned to you and with a smile, he said, "Thank you for your time, [Y/N]. I will see you next week. Goodnight."

A stab of disappointment hit you but you forced yourself to return his smile fondly. "...Of course. Goodnight, Vergil."

He left the room and you dropped the smile, shoulders going slump. _Phew, that was rather intense...but he's coming back again next week, and Madame Lilith would be so happy with this extra money I'm making for the club..._ You spent a few minutes trying to catch your breath. It dawned to you that you were rather sweaty and breathing heavily, and he had not been during the makeout session. He had been the total opposite - calm and cool. Pushing those thoughts away, you sat up, noticing that your panties were dripping wet. Oh shit. You needed to change, now. You quickly left the room after cleaning up, collecting the glass and champagne bottle, grabbing a new bottle from the mini fridge along with a clean glass for the next customer. You finished fluffing the cushions, smoothing down the couch and armrest, then left the room to see Jade wandering towards your direction.

"Hey, [Y/N]!"

"Hey, Jade. What are you doing here?"

"I got a customer, and I saw him walking out. You know, the old man. He looked really happy. But...seriously girl, I can't believe you spent all that time with him. Did you guys kiss? You did? Oh my god...what does he taste like? Denture cream and prunes?" Jade said with a look of disgust.

You were confused as you held the half-empty champagne bottle and glass in hands. "What are you talking about? Just because he has white hair doesn't make him an old man. He's not old at all."

Jade scoffed in response and waved you off, stalking towards the corridor to room six where her customer was waiting. "Whatever." She said, and you could hear her muttering something about 'beer goggles' under her breath.


	3. The Fifteen Minutes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, thank you for the kudos and comment :) hope you enjoy today's chapter. Warnings for smut.

* * *

**THE FIFTEEN MINUTES**

* * *

 ...

...

...

 

Three weeks had flown by since meeting Vergil and your blue rose was still in full bloom, looking healthy and pretty in its makeshift vase on your windowsill.

You hadn't even thrown away the wrapping paper that came with it, and you were sitting at your desk writing down some of today's events and working out some simple sums regarding bill payments when you spotted the little symbol and handwriting printed on one corner that was barely legible if you hadn't put it under the light of your lamp. You sat upright immediately and grabbed the wrapping paper, holding it up, squinting your eyes for a better look. There, in clear glossy writing, it said "Limbo Bauhinia Florist". Grabbing your phone, you quickly typed the address and hit "search". The results popped up in less than a second.

"...No. 24 Wilcox Avenue, Central Limbo." You muttered under your breath. This was your first clue to your mysterious customer.

...

You wouldn't be so interested in finding out more about Vergil if he did not visit you every week at the Devil's Dalliance as promised where most of your sessions would consist of you sitting in his lap with your arms wrapped around him whilst idly asking non-invasive questions and talking about his general daily routine...then nearer the end of the session you would kiss. You had grown rather accustomed to this regime and his company. It was easy money.

Vergil was a secretive man so attempting to elicit a conversation was a bit on the challenging side but you found his elusive nature appealing compared to the usual rabble of customers which you were used to; his answers to your questions were vague and unfortunately the only information you'd managed to squeeze out of him were the following: he was two years older than you, he worked in IT, he lived on his own in Limbo City. He also came from a wealthy background with loving parents and had a good education. In terms of personality, he was charming and gentle-natured, but you could also tell he was quite the introverted individual with a penchant for the peace and quiet. He was also polite and respectful towards you. He also seemed the type to immerse himself and be fascinated with literature, art and beauty... and his tastes were undoubtedly elite, considering he was always wearing designer of some sort. You didn't mind his reluctance to tell you anything more about himself because you rather enjoyed being in his presence.

Tonight at the Devil's Dalliance, you spotted your most cherished customer standing in the corner surrounded by three angel girls, including Jade. Although he had his back to you, you could tell he was overdressed for the occasion again... adorned in his black homburg hat, black coat, slacks, dress shirt and tie. This time he was even carrying a sleek, jet black briefcase in hand. What kind of IT guy was he exactly? You always thought those working in IT were nerdy to some extent, wearing checkered shirts, denims or something along the lines... Geeky, perhaps. Vergil was the exact opposite. He was so grandiose. Looks certainly can be deceiving for his case then.

As you neared, you could make out the conversation: "So you're the one who's been seeing our cute little [Y/N] every week. No fair, we want some attention too." One of the girls was flirting with him whilst swaying side to side coyly on the spot; of course she was just teasing him, but you felt a stir of jealousy in the pit of your gut.

You had just kept him waiting for one minute and he was already surrounded(!). Storming up to them, you decided to take him by surprise by approaching him stealthily from behind; the girls had spotted you too but did not say anything to your presence as you planted your hands on his broad shoulders and brought him down to your level where you reached up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

He smiled as soon as his eyes landed on you. "No, not at all, [Y/N]." You didn't seem to have taken him off guard...

As you draped yourself over him, you turned to the girls and aimed a wink at Jade, "Sorry girls, he's mine." And they giggled at you and stalked away whilst Jade wiggled her eyebrows at you in response, accompanied with a grin. As you watched the girls dissipate amongst the crowd, you turned to Vergil, "I hope they didn't scare you. They can be like that sometimes."

He chuckled. "You look concerned."

And the game was on. "Of course! I don't want them to take you away from me. You're mine and mine alone." You replied teasingly, taking his gloved hand with your own. It was startlingly easy to play along with him, as though you were a couple.

You could see his expression softening as he held your gaze and you are not imagining things here... but you could definitely feel the intensity of his gaze aimed at you. You had felt it for a while but pretended not to notice and you inwardly wondered how long you could deny it... Vergil seemed to hold a soft spot for you and unfortunately you have the inkling that he takes all your words to heart. You knew deep inside that you didn't want to hurt him as it would hurt you too. Usually you don't care for customers but Vergil is a nice, polite man so you don't want to string him along too much.

"Come on, let's go to our room for some privacy." You said quickly, and you can feel him giving your fingers a light squeeze. Your hands seem to fit well together, too...

Leading Vergil down the corridor, you tottered down the hall in your heels, dressed in the white bra, panties and angel wings. You initially thought you'd freeze to death dressed in this way but the club's patron often made the Devil's Dalliance a sweaty, hot atmosphere so you got used to it pretty easily. You often wonder how Vergil would react if he saw you outside of work in normal clothes with your glasses and no make up. Maybe he wouldn't recognize you. At the moment, however, you could feel his gaze on your back, raking in your form. Those thoughts came to an end as you found designated room three which was now reserved for your weekly encounters and you opened the door. Room three was a bland room, painted a deep purple like the rest of the club with drapes hanging from every corner despite the lack of windows. The couch was a classic black velveteen L-shaped lounger that hid amongst the background with a glass table in front. Exotic paintings framed one wall and opposite was the ice bucket, a counter containing the mini fridge, spare champagne bottles and empty glasses and then beside it was a plant and a coat stand. The moment you slipped inside the room, Vergil closed the door behind the both of you, settled his brief case on the ground and you walked behind him, helping him remove his coat and hang it up on the coat stand to your left before you turned to him.

"[Y/N]." He said, as you proceeded to wrap your arms around his neck.

"I missed you, Vergil." You said in a sultry tone, standing on tiptoe to plant a brief kiss on his lips. Playing the role of a passionate lover was simple indeed.

"Unfortunately I only have fifteen minutes tonight." He murmured as his hands found your waist, delicate and careful as usual, and your eyes widened for a split second at the revelation. Pouting, you reached over and started playing absent-mindedly with his tie.

"Only fifteen minutes?"

"I have a lot of work matters to attend to."

You let go of his tie to place a hand to his face and smoothed your thumb over the curve of his cheek. "You're such a sweetheart, coming to see me even though you're really busy."

He smiled. "I would always attempt to clear some time in my schedule to see you, [Y/N]." He took and kissed the back of your hand, brushing his lips over your knuckles, his light blue eyes meeting yours.

 _He's so sweet_ , you thought. Your cheeks went undoubtedly warm when he let go and returned to holding you by the waist. "You're not going to ask about Dante, are you?" Pondering for a moment, you said, "...If I do see him, what should I do?"

"Inform me immediately." He replied, and you nodded, "For what reason does Dante come here?"

You shrugged. Vergil had an agenda and it was revolving around Dante...not that you really cared, hence you didn't want to dwell on anything Dante-related at all. "The same reason why the other guys come here...the girls, the atmosphere...the booze...he's just your average Joe who gets roaring drunk and hits on every girl here."

"And has he ever... hit on you before?" Vergil asked, a little cautiously.

"Once...when he first saw me...he used this terrible pickup line...it was just awful. He doesn't hit on me anymore though, 'cos I don't let him. He's not my type at all." You replied, running your fingertip down the bridge of his nose affectionately. "You're more my type." You added, and this only made him chuckle as you brought his face close to yours and pressed your mouth against his again.

Considering he only had fifteen minutes, you believed there should be more than kissing in today's session. Taking his hands with yours, you removed his grip off your waist and guided his hands to your rear, letting him caress the curve of your ass before he started to walk you over to the direction of the awaiting couch whilst you busied yourself in undoing his tie and loosening a few buttons from his shirt. No time to waste indeed. Even the champagne was forgotten as well as the usual, idle chat. In a matter of moments, the back of your knees made contact with the sofa and you pulled away from him, then gently shoved him over the couch. It was not an aggressive action at all but he seemed a little surprised and tried to sit up but this time you used one hand to push him back down.

He gave you a questioning look but you smiled at him sweetly in response and let him lay over the soft cushion of the couch before you climbed over him on all fours, hovering above him on your knees and elbows. He was staring up at you, panting slightly with his tie undone and a few shirt buttons popped off, revealing the pale skin underneath which he usually covered with his black turtleneck or shirt. You could tell that he was rather well-built, your eyes straying over his thick biceps, broad shoulders and pecs. Sitting upright, you straddled him and reached behind you, unclipping the angel wings off your bra strap. Earnestly, it was more of a hindrance although it was an aesthetic part of the uniform. With the annoying feathery contraption out of the way, you tossed it carelessly to the side and he was watching your every move - you made sure he was - before you let your hands glide over his chest and to the lapels of his shirt, slowly popping off the rest of the buttons and once his shirt was undone, you started pulling his tucked shirt out from his pants. His eyes followed your movements as you slid your fingers over his belt before you started unbuckling it.

"[Y/N]." He said, but you merely put a finger to your lips, giving him another devious smile.

He let you, and once the belt was unbuckled, you crept over him, caging him with your body. Leaning down, you brushed some hair from his face and your lips met once more; his arms returned to wrap around your waist, bringing you closer to him. You found this endearing because you were slowly bringing him out of his shell little by little; you noticed that he never touched you anywhere else on the body unless you told him it was allowed, or if you prompted him. This skin contact was driving you crazy however, your mind was a slight haze at the given moment. You moaned against him as your kisses started off gentle but quick before becoming more and more passionate; in fact, he was pulling you up against him even tighter and closer than usual, his large hands gliding over your rear and your thighs. Vergil was definitely becoming less coy with you now. You started moving your body up and down against him, grinding yourself against his crotch whilst his hold on your ass increased, his grip becoming stronger, fingers digging into your flesh.

"Mmm..." You moaned against him as seductively as you could, tilting your head to the side and nibbling on the corner of his mouth. When his lips parted, you slipped your tongue inside, licking the roof of his mouth, which had him chuckling at your bold action. He pressed his tongue against yours also, entwining and battling for some form of dominance. When you retreated and you both pulled apart for air, he was staring at your mouth the entire time, his eyes hooded with lust. "Vergil?" You murmured, tracing his lip with your fingers.

"Yes?" He breathed out in a quiet whisper.

"You don't mind me doing this to you, do you?" You asked innocently.

"What?"

His answer came when you slid your hand down his thigh, purposely going slow and making sure he was watching your every move before your hand landed over his groin and you rubbed his crotch. He was hot and hard and he exhaled a raspy hiss. "I want you so badly..." You purred.

Vergil could only emit a rather strangled groan in response, his eyes narrowing at you. "[Y/N]..."

"I know you want this...don't deny it, don't deny _me_." You leaned down to murmur in his ear, before you started lavishing the side of his face with gentle butterfly kisses, "I wish you could stay longer. I'd suck you off...let you fuck me all night."

You rubbed his erection, pleased to find that he was also large and thick, his cock straining against the material.

"You're so big..." You continued to whisper in his ear, "I want you inside me..."

His hands started pushing you towards him, goading you forwards and you complied, bucking your hips up and down against his, your bodies rubbing together and creating delicious friction as your lips pressed urgently together, and in one quick, effortless movement, Vergil had you lying underneath him. He was smirking at you from above whilst you stared at him, momentarily stunned at the sudden change of position; his hands slowly took hold of your wrists, pinning your hands to the sides of your head. His grip on you was strong albeit gentle. As your breath lodged in your throat, Vergil leaned over and his lips found your neck, his hair tickling your cheek. Vergil's body was so close to yours, you could feel his heartbeat and his quiet, shallow breaths. He seemed calm and in control, whilst your heartbeat picked up pace. He relinquished his grip on your wrists to move his hand lower and lower down your body, running down the middle of your breasts and over your stomach before stopping over your panties before slipping underneath the thin waistband and you let out a gasp.

However, he pulled away, inspecting his glove. "...This is in the way." He proceeded to pull his glove off and returned to kiss your neck, his lips hot on your skin, ghosting over your nape affectionately and trailing up and down over the column of your throat. You slid your gaze to the side, closing your eyes whilst he pulled the strap of your panties, inching the flimsy elastic down your thighs. You could feel him staring, your cheeks growing a little hot, before his fingers tentatively slipped over your lips and over your entrance. You were sopping wet.

"Mm.." You unintentionally released a moan as you shifted slightly underneath him, lifting your leg up slightly.

"You look tense, [Y/N]." He muttered; you re-opened one eye as he continued stroking you, feeling how soft and wet and hot you were for him but not slipping his fingers inside, much to your vexation and frustration. You hurriedly entwined your hands into his hair and around his back, feeling his thick muscles under his shirt before you pressed your lips to his, hard. You were currently hostage to him, completely at his mercy as he teased your sopping wet entrance. Your fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt as he continued those torturous movements. Vergil's lips were hot on you, moving from your lips to your neck, pressing sweet kisses over the side of your neck before he would kiss your throat but then...

_Bzz bzzz bzzz._

It startled you, resonating loudly in the small room. It was the buzzer, indicating the time was up. You couldn't help but let out a groan. Now the disappointment was so deep... it was all over your face as you slowly broke apart and glanced at the timer, his hand retreating from your crotch. His fingers were damp, coated in your juice which he licked off. You blushed slightly as you both exchanged looks and when he smirked, you let out a deep exhale. Slowly, he got off you to sit up as the timer buzzed angrily. You followed his action, sitting up beside him.

A brief silence hung in the air until a sigh escaped his lips. "...I am truly sorry, [Y/N], I am."

"It's okay, you don't have to apologize." You said, pulling your panties back up.

The silence that followed was heavy before Vergil shifted on his spot on the couch. "I shall see you next week, [Y/N]. Goodnight." He leaned forwards, bringing your face close to his, pressing his lips against your forehead. You watched as he proceeded to zip his pants back up, button his shirt and tuck it in, then he reached over and picked up his glove and tie. Geez, you'd really manhandled him tonight...Even his hair was a mess, falling over his eyes. You noticed he bore a stronger resemblance to Dante with his hair in that fashion, and you chuckled under your breath and moved to stand beside him.

"Here, I'll help you." You offered, taking the material in your hands; you started to help him tie whilst he brushed his hair back and away from his eyes, returning to the neat, coiffed fashion which you thought suited him better, and when you were finished redoing his tie, he was smiling at you warmly. You returned his smile fondly and he offered you his arm. _Such a gentleman_ , you thought, as you looped your arm through his. Vergil picked up his hat and briefcase along the way, and together you left the room.

* * *

**Three years ago, Limbo City Hospice.**

"Hi, I'm Jade Garcia." said an unfamiliar voice, and you looked up from your book to see a rather tall girl standing at the edge of your bed. You didn't recognize her from anywhere at all as you eyed her from head to toe; she had foggy blue eyes, long ash-brown hair and a pale complexion to boot. You didn't need to ask about her identity or the reason why she was here for she added, "I'm the one who called the ambulance for you."

Ah...The witness. You gestured to the empty stool beside your bed. She took the cue and plopped herself down on the awaiting seat, clutching her handbag to herself. "Thank you." You said.

"Is it true?"

"What's true?"

"That you've lost some of your memories?"

"Yeah. They said I'll slowly remember. Good thing I still remember who I am, my family, friends, where I live...that I used to dance, and I was just walking home when it happened. I remember I finished dance practice that day."

"Okay, well that's a relief. Looks like you'll do just fine."

You shook your head. "No, there's a lot I can't recall. It's just...a blur, and the doctor said I can't put any strain on my legs anymore. That includes dancing."

Jade took note of your get well cards that were standing on the table. "...I'm really, really sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Did you see them?"

"Who?" She asked, scratching behind her ear. You gestured to your legs next and Jade's mouth formed a tiny 'O'. She said, "Um...no, I didn't see the driver unfortunately...when the car was coming round the corner, I saw you walking in the middle of the road - which was fine 'cos it was the 'walk' signal anyway - and I shouted and you must have heard me because you looked up, the car was there and it hit your body like this - " Using her hands, she imitated the car heading towards her fist with her other hand and smacked her hands together. "You went right up the car and over the windshield and then I saw lots of blood and you were lying on the ground. It happened really fast, like no-one would've reacted fast enough... then the car stopped for like a second and then drove off, but I got the license plate number." She said, "I remember it was LAU 2109."


	4. The Glass Slipper

* * *

**THE GLASS SLIPPER**

* * *

 

...

...

...

You pushed open the door, listening to the bell jingle as you glanced around. The shop was very small and filled to the brim with all sorts of fauna of all shapes, sizes, types and colors. Their flowery scent hit you hard in the nose and you ducked from a low hanging basket full of hydrangeas, turning round to see Jade outside the window, giving you a thumbs up as she waited. You offered a wry smile and wandered further into the store to see a kind-looking woman with glasses who was tending to a basket of bright-colored flowers arranged beautifully together. Upon your entrance, she turned to you with the spray in hand and smiled, "Oh, hello there. Good morning, welcome to _Limbo Bauhinia Florist_. How can I help you today?"

"Hi," You replied, taking out the clear wrapping paper and the blue rose from your bag. You'd kept it safe by using a clean, transparent plastic tub that belonged from the local Chinese takeaway which you'd salvaged from your dad's many takeout orders. "Is this one of yours?"

The florist pushed her glasses further up her nose bridge. "May I see that?"

"Sure. But... uh, be careful. Please." You said, as you rather reluctantly handed her the flower.

"Of course." She plucked it off you very delicately and she inspected it, turning the flower round in her hands. "Yes, this is one of ours. Batch 16, if I recall. We're the only florist in Limbo City who specialize in manufacturing blue roses."

"Manufacturing?"

She nodded and returned the flower to you; you hastily returned the rose to its tub, making sure the petals were not crushed in progress. "Roses are not naturally blue. The natural 'blue rose' that grows in the wild is actually more of a lilac color." She explained. Gesturing to your rose, she added, "To achieve this color, we genetically engineer the roses at the Limbo City Mallet Laboratory. Blue roses aren't a very popular purchase here, so all our roses are pre-ordered and it also takes at least two weeks for the order to be processed and to arrive on time."

You threw your glance to the rose. "Do you remember who bought this? I need to find out who gave this to me."

The florist giggled light-heartedly in response. "Sorry, I don't remember... if it's a secret admirer, isn't it better not knowing who gave it to you?"

Deciding to play along, you gave her the wet puppy dog eyes. "Please? I even got this card with it...it was so beautiful, the poem, that is...my heart swelled with happiness when I was reading it, so I must simply find out who he is." You said.

In response to that, she gave you a lopsided smile. "...Well, I guess I could - "

"Great! Show me your records. Please?"

Her eyes widened. "Excuse me, but that is confidential information..."

You wanted to groan inwardly...but determination spurned you and the facade must go on. Clearing your throat, you said sternly, "I got this four weeks ago. You could at least tell me? Just four weeks ago, I'm not looking for your entire shop's purchase history."

The florist huffed. "I already told you. Our customer records are confidential information."

It's not working, you thought to yourself as you bit down on your lip. You quickly moved one hand behind you and crossed your fingers to signal your backup. "Okay, I'll leave then."

"The exit is that way." The florist snapped at you.

You turned to leave just when the door opened, the bell going off, and Jade sauntered in. The florist turned to her and flashed a fake, cheerful smile, "Hello, how may I help you?"

Jade gave you a quick look but didn't say anything to you. "Hi, yeah, I'm looking for a type of rare flower. A Snowdonia Hawkweed, do you have one? Flower or seed, it's fine."

The florist put a hand to her lip. "Ah...I may have some seeds in the back. Give me a second..."

"Thank you." said Jade.

The florist put down her spray and disappeared from the storefront whilst Jade went up to the counter to wait where she peered around, then quickly hopped over the counter. You hurried over to her as she reached underneath to a low shelf and pulled out a small and grubby A5 notepad that said "Accounts Book", flipping a few pages back until she finally stopped. "Ah. Here we are. This is the record we're looking for, from four weeks ago."

"Thanks Jade." You said quickly, "I really owe you one."

"Don't sweat it, let's just be quick, hm?"

"Is there anyone there called Vergil?" You said and she quickly scanned the names.

"No."

Your heart dropped slightly. But wait! The florist said roses were manufactured...they needed at least two weeks to be processed, to be made...and to be delivered. He'd ordered the rose a while ago then. "Perhaps try looking back six weeks ago."

She did as she was told, rifling through more pages. "Bingo! We got a Vergil - his name is right here. I can't tell what his surname is though...the writing is too fancy. Maybe starts with an ' _S'_?" She whispered, finding Vergil's name on the fourteenth line. This confirmed it. You quickly scooped out your phone as you glanced at his details. Even a contact number was listed down, along with his address. You quickly took a few snaps of the address and Jade returned the book to its proper place.

"Shit, there's no fucking CCTV here, is there?" Jade asked.

"Don't think so. C'mon, I got what I wanted, let's get outta here." You hissed and she nodded, leaping over the counter and following you out of the shop, opening the door, the bell jingling for the third time. You and Jade hurried down the street and out of view.

The florist returned with seed pack in hand and a big smile only to be greeted with an empty shop. "I have the seeds! Oh...Where did she go?"

...

Recently, you weren't sure if you preferred and enjoyed your work at the Devil's Dalliance more than your work at the diner.

"[Y/N], we're running short of staff. Could you go wait some tables?"

You had been busy scrubbing and washing dishes as usual when one of the supervisors on duty had walked up and barked an order at you. It was a supervisor you didn't particular like due to his poor attitude and display of uncalled superiority towards all the staff except the manager. Although you weren't particular keen to comply, you witnessed how short-staffed they were today so you couldn't help but agree. With a nod, the supervisor turned and departed the kitchen, leaving you so you could untie your apron and remove your damp rubber gloves. You tied your hair into a tight ponytail and left the kitchen, opening the double swinging doors.

The diner was as equally loud as the kitchen; the sounds of noisy chatter, babies crying, the coffee machine humming noisily in one corner and the non-stop, ear-wrenching scrape of cutlery against plates were all rife in the air. Your shift was coming to an end with almost one hour to go and that was you finished for the day, so you didn't see the harm in helping out once on the floor. You spotted two juvenile boys at a booth waving at you to get your attention so you went over to them with a pen and pad in hand.

"Hi, what can I get for you?" You asked.

They gestured to the greasy laminated menu and said, "Yeah, we'll have the house burger and fries, please."

"Sure. Medium or large?"

"Medium, thanks."

"And your drink?"

They glanced at each other, then flicked their gazes to you. "Two Coronas."

You put down the pad, glancing at them in return. They looked barely of drinking age; challenging them, you said, "Where's your ID? Can't serve any booze unless I see it."

"Uh, we don't have any."

"Sorry, no Corona then."

They sulked for a while but then relented and ordered two diet cokes. You took their orders and gave it to the kitchen staff and the drinks order went to the counter, then you went to serve other customers, waiting tables and serving drinks. The diner didn't seem to be calming down any soon. A few minutes later, the supervisor you disliked approached you, grabbing you by the arm.

"[Y/N], what the fuck do you think you're doing?" He hissed.

"What do you mean?"

He pointed angrily to the two boys you had served a while ago. There were two Corona bottles standing on their table. You were confused. "I didn't serve them that."

"Bullshit. Everyone saw you taking their order. You want to shut us down?! We don't serve booze to minors!"

"I know that." You said angrily, "It wasn't me!"

"If it wasn't you then who was it? Now get those fucking beers off their tables."

Seething, you wrenched your arm out of his grip. "I said _it wasn't me_." You muttered angrily as you stormed over to the two boy's table. Grabbing their booze, you said, "Nice try."

They gave you shit-eating grins in response before sniggering at you. They'd done something, somehow...and they'd seen you get into trouble.

...

That incident at the diner left you in a pretty shitty mood which didn't seem to lift as you left work for the day, somewhat tempted to hand in your notice right there and then after you tried to protest your innocence only to get shot down by the supervisor who seemed adamant on accusing you in serving underage customers alcohol. Luckily, Jen the cashier, the kind middle-aged lady who had worked at the diner for a long time, stood up for you and maintained your innocence in this ordeal whilst the rest of the staff members couldn't care less about your well-being. You thanked her profusely but on your way home you still felt dejected, humiliated and embarrassed and wanting to cry yet you as you finally arrived home, you hesitated at your front door. This was no better. Your dad was an abusive alcoholic. You just left one hell to go to another. Wiping at your damp eyes, you unlocked the front door and peeped your head in to hear heavy snoring emitting from the lounge.

Good, dad was asleep.

You breathed a sigh of relief as you removed your shoes and tiptoed through the doorway, glancing at the couch where dad slept noisily, mumbling and muttering incoherently under his breath. As you passed him towards the direction of the kitchen, you could hear the briefest of whimper escape his lips, and you turned to him questioningly.

"...Nghh...mmnn...nnn..." He was simpering, "Oh, Elise...I'm...I'm so sorry...forgive me..."

You rolled your eyes. Since when did he care about other people other than himself?

...

**Later.**

"Hey," Jade said, nudging you, "Soooo, did you go check out where he lived?"

"Not yet."

"Why are you so interested in finding out more about him? He's a boring, old man."

"Just because he has white hair does not make him _old_. He works in bloody IT for god's sake."

She crossed her arms and looked at you strangely. "Yeah, like ten or twenty years ago."

You huffed at her. "Stop making fun of him. He's a nice guy."

"Huh, I'll bet. Well, lover boy's here anyway. The girls saw him and escorted him to room three; as usual, he's looking for you."

You stopped in your task of cleaning the glass cup immediately and made your way to the corridor whilst Jade watched you and giggled.

"Just exchange phone numbers!" She called after you, still laughing.

Whilst you shrugged her off, Jade's comment made sense. You had been looking forward to this moment - Vergil was finally here! You were looking forward to working at the club tonight because of Vergil. He already established that he would visit you on a weekly basis and you were well aware of that but since his last visit, you felt like it was forever since you had seen him. You had many questions to ask him and you were really wanting to talk to him but now you realized that you were just ecstatic with the thought of getting to see him again. And as you arrived at the door of room three, your hand stilled on the knob. You noticed your heart was pounding a little harder and your palms were sweatier than usual. You'd never experienced this before; usually you were calm and uncaring regardless of who the customer was. Usually, you just wanted it over with, but not with Vergil. It occurred to you that perhaps Vergil was becoming important to you.

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door to see Vergil inside, removing his hat and placing it on the glass table. He was more or less in the same attire as usual, complete with the briefcase which stood on the floor by the side of the sofa.

"Vergil!" You exclaimed happily, and he turned round. Trying to play it cool, you cleared your throat and said, calmly, "You're here."

He smiled at you, loosening his tie slightly "Good evening, [Y/N]."

"I missed you so much; I had a bad day today. Will you help make me feel better?" You said as you approached him, he drew you into his warm embrace, his arms sliding around your waist and he kissed you briefly.

"Of course." He murmured, glancing down at you as you went up on tiptoe and started showering the side of his face with kisses, "I have just the right thing."

"What do you mean?" You asked as you pulled away, but instead of answering your question, he took your chin in his hand and gently tilted your face up, made you look up at him. "What is it?"

"You've been crying." He muttered.

Your eyes widened in response. How could he tell? Were your eyes still that puffy and red? You quickly dabbed at the corner of your eyes, shaking your head. "No, I'm fine," You said, but he raised a brow, so you gave him a shrug and a small smile, "Vergil, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

He still seemed unconvinced but you merely smiled wider and as he let go of you, you ushered him towards the sofa.

"Please tell me you have thirty minutes with me tonight." You added, taking your usual seat in his lap.

"...Unfortunately, I only have fifteen minutes. I've been very preoccupied with work lately and making preparations." He replied. What these preparations were, you were not sure and decided not to ask him. You had such a shit day that seeing Vergil was the best thing to happen to you and you didn't want to waste time.

"It's okay, I forgive you." You said sweetly as you stroked his cheek, and as he leaned forwards, you exchanged a long and passionate kiss. "I was thinking about you all week." You whispered in between heated kisses; wrapping your arms around his neck and sinking your fingers into his hair, you lavished him with kisses all over and his grip on you tightened, gloved hands firmly grasping your hips.

You didn't want to think about anything else except from Vergil's lips on yours and how good it felt to be in his arms. He held you so closely to him, you felt safe and secure... and each time your mouths met, you could feel all your worries and anxiety disappear. You no longer cared about your dismal life outside the club. You didn't care about the diner, dad, or anything or anyone else except from Vergil for all that mattered. Vergil was so important to you right now that you wished these fifteen minutes would never come to an end. You bucked your hips against his and you also felt him instinctively moving against you. Too bad his clothes were still in the way. As soon as you grabbed a fistful of his coat, however, he broke off the kiss and stopped you.

"I'm sorry. Not tonight."

You blinked. He was rejecting this? Rejecting you?

"I only have - " He quickly glanced at his expensive designer watch, " - less than ten minutes now."

Really? You had been kissing for so long? No wonder you were so hot and heavy, panting slightly.

"I have brought something for you, [Y/N]." He said, a little breathlessly as you started preoccupying yourself in kissing the dimple in his cheek and he reached over for the case on the table, unlocking it by lifting the two metal clasps and inputting the code. Once he opened it he pulled out a slim black box with no label or logo, tied neatly with a navy ribbon and bow on front. You stopped in your endeavors as he presented it to you and you looked at him in surprise. "Open it." He said, as he offered you the box for your taking.

You took the box into your hands, feeling the weight. "For me?" You said quietly.

"Yes." He affirmed as you stared at the box limply. Although you had thought about receiving gifts from Vergil before, now you were feeling reluctant to accept it.

"Why?"

"Open it and you can find out for yourself."

Nodding, you meticulously unwrapped the ribbon and lifted the lid to reveal a pair of silver high heel shoes decorated entirely in tiny, glittering crystals. Your jaw dropped as you took one shoe and lifted it up. It looked like a glass slipper. Unsurprisingly, it was designer (...and a very expensive brand too), the toes were exquisitively pointed, the lining of the shoe was also very soft and comfortable to touch - a perfect suede base. There was a large crystal affixed to the front of the shoe as an adornment, gleaming brilliantly under the dim light of the room.

"This is... I-It's beautiful. Thank you." You croaked out, your throat going a little dry.

"I'm glad you like it."

 _...He really wants to give these to me? Y_ ou cringed at the thought as you inspected the shoe, turning it round and round. "...Why are you so nice to me, Vergil? I'm...I'm just a dancer here." You uttered.

He chuckled, brushed a strand of hair from your face, "Yes, you are just a...dancer here, but it doesn't mean I cannot buy you gifts."

You gave him an awkward smile in response. Turning the heel round, you saw that there was the tiny indication that it was your size. "How did you know what shoe size I am?"

"I'm a very observant man." Vergil replied, as he slid an arm around your waist, giving you an affectionate squeeze. Gesturing to the shoe in your hands with a smile, he added, "You should try it on and tell me if you like it."

An alarming thought entered your mind: _Okay, this is really way too much...now I'm really not sure if I can accept this_. You noticed a piece of card inside the box and you picked it up to inspect it. At first, you thought it was a receipt or authentication card but it was not; there was the logo of two opera masks on the back, one a sad face whilst the other was a laughing face. On the other side, you read aloud the printed words: "To Our Dearest Vergil, you are hereby invited to the...'Limbo City Annual Masquerade Ball'?'"

Vergil's grip on you increased. "Yes, I have been invited to this event and I would like you to come with me. Can you _dance_ , [Y/N]?"

Your blood turned cold at once. "...Dance?" Immediately, you put the shoe back into the box and nudged it towards his direction. "No."

There was a silence, until he smiled at you and said, " _No_?"

"I'm sorry, Vergil, I don't...I...I c-can't dance." You uttered quickly and apologetically, sliding off his lap. He appeared oblivious to your inner turmoil. Or was he? When you looked at him, he was still smiling. "...I...I'm serious, Vergil. I can't dance. I don't do dancing." You added as you shook your head, trying to convince him. "I'm sorry, but I just don't."

"Then I can teach you." He said, "It's very simple, just a few steps. Most likely, it will be the waltz."

"Please ask someone else... I don't deserve to go to this anyway."

"The invite states very clearly I can invite whomever I please, and I choose to invite you, [Y/N]."

You shook your head furiously now. "Please don't ask me, Vergil. I can't go with you." Glancing to the room flimsily, you knew you were breaking character but you couldn't control yourself. "Look around you. This is a _nightclub!_ What kind of dancing do you expect me to do? Look at me, Vergil! I'll just embarrass you if I go." With that said, you squeezed your eyes shut. No, no...everything was going so well...why did he have to do this? And why was he adamant on asking you to come with him?

"You don't have to feel ashamed or afraid just because of your status." He said.

Should you tell him what happened to you, the accident...how it ruined your career? Your life before all this? "You don't understand, Vergil, I - "

_Bzz bzzz bzzz._

It was the buzzer, indicating the time was up. Good timing, literally. You felt somewhat relieved that this time the meeting was over so soon without you even realizing it; Vergil paid no attention to the timer, his gaze focused on you. "Your fifteen minutes are over." You said hurriedly. "I'll see you next week."

When the buzzer stopped, there was a heavy silence in the air and Vergil emitted a rather defeated sigh under his breath. "I'll be taking my leave then, [Y/N]. Goodnight." He leaned forwards as usual, wanting to kiss you but this time you turned your face away, rejecting his advances. He noticed, and there was another silence in the air. Clearing his throat, he proceeded to pick up his homburg, his briefcase... he left the shoes and the box beside you, however. "If you don't want to go, I will respect your decision."

You swallowed down the lump in your throat as you sat rigidly in your seat. "Thank you for the gift, Vergil, but - "

He shook his head gently. "I bought them for you. It's yours." As your jaw dropped, he rose to stand and left the room quietly.

...

A few days passed.

You sat cross-legged on your bed, writing and working out in your little book all the expenses you'd used this week before your eyes strayed to the closet where behind closed doors, you had stashed away Vergil's luxurious gift. You didn't know what to do with them; you loved the shoes. A lot. They were beautiful and they fit wonderfully on your feet. You had never received this kind of gift before from anyone. All your life and you never had nice things. You had never even been on vacation, never bought yourself anything nice... Your dad was certainly no help in that department. You felt deprived and undeserving but you liked the shoes so goddamn much to the point that you would feel upset if you were to depart with them... but you were also thinking whether it was best to sell them in order to pay off your dad's debts but if Vergil found out, he might be upset. Oh dear, what to do, what to do...? Your hand tightened around the pen as you contemplated. If you went to the masquerade ball, then you would keep the shoes. If you sold them, well...they were a gift from a customer, albeit a very wealthy customer who was kind to you and seemed to harbor a lot of affection for you.

 _But dad's debt is a major problem_ , you thought, _I'll sell them to pay off the debt._

You shook your head abruptly.

_No, I can't. I'll return them to Vergil. That's the best thing to do...it's the right thing to do..._

_..._

To your dismay, Vergil didn't come to the club the next week.

Or the next.

You had seen Dante swaggering around earlier and drinking until he was steaming drunk but Vergil was not here so what was the point? As he swayed around, drunk and delirious and vomiting in one corner, you saw him wiping his mouth and spitting whatever gunk was in his mouth before he lumbered towards the bar, emitting a loud groan and plopping himself down on one seat.

"Hey, Dante." You said, as he waved a finger in the air.

"Gimme a...triple six...double it. Hit me..." You noticed he was trying to focus his gaze on you but was failing miserably. "Heyyyyyyy...it's you." He slurred, clearly drunk. "You're fuckin' hot. Did anyone ever tell you that?"

"If I remember correctly, you did. And then I drove my heel into your balls when you grabbed my ass."

"Huh...funny...I don't remember that part."

"Yeah, because you were off your face." You replied, "Someone's looking for you by the way."

"Huh...wh...someone's...what..."

You rolled your eyes. "Never mind. You probably won't remember any of this."

"Yeah, that's for sure." piped up a voice, and you glanced over to see Jade approaching the both of you. "Sweetie, there you are."

Dante inched round in his seat, squinted his eyes at her. "Rachel...that you, babe? Whattya doin' here..."

"I'm your eight pm appointment, sugar. C'mon, up you go." Jade grabbed his arm and looped it around her shoulder. "I'll treat ya nice and good..."

"Wha...what ya gonna do ta me?"

"It involves a belt and handcuffs and lots of cigarette burns on your ass." She purred.

"Fuck yeah..." Dante grunted, and Jade smirked deviously at him. She gave you a wink and as she dragged him away, you shook your head slowly.

A few hours later and you stood glumly behind the bar, wiping down the marble as you threw a glance to the clock affixed to the wall in the corridor, away from the eyes of the customers on the dance floor. It was way past ten o'clock now... he was very late, or he wasn't going to come, considering he usually came to see you around eight-ish. You had also taken the shoes with you, keeping them hidden in your dirty rucksack to deter the girls and any other potential thieves and also you kept it safe in your locker. You had hoped to give them back to him when you saw him. You were so wound up in your thoughts that you didn't even notice the return of Jade, who seemed to be in a better mood than usual, but having noticed your sullen mood, she came sidling up to you and popped up beside you, going "Boo!" and you let out a squawk of surprise before turning to her.

"Jade!" You exclaimed in shock. "Uh... how did it go with Dante?"

"He'll remember my name from now on, and also, we're back together now."

"You are? Well, that's good. I'm happy for you."

"So what's the matter with you?" At first, she had laughed at your spooked reaction but noticing how saddened you look, she dropped her grin and pouted, "Aww, I guess ya boi didn't come tonight either?"

You nodded, slapping the wet rag over the marble in frustration. "It's been two weeks! Did I do something wrong? Or has he been going to a different club?"

She shrugged. "...I don't know. Customers come and go, but we get used to it. You said he was super busy recently, right? It's probably best to give him another week."

"Okay. I'll give him another week then." You said. Work seemed empty and boring and bland without Vergil turning up.

And unfortunately, Vergil did not come the following week, either.

...

You have not seen Vergil for three weeks and three days now.

That was almost a month!

 _He's not coming to the club anymore_ , you thought as you stared at the shoebox on your bed. Maybe you should go visit his house? It was a good thing you found out where he lived with Jade's help... However, wouldn't going up to his house look stalkerish and creepy? Shaking your head, you grabbed the box and lifted the lid, fishing one shoe out and in process, the masquerade ball invitation flopped out over your lap. You picked it up, sighing, as you glanced at the printed words.

_To Our Dearest Vergil, you are hereby invited to attend Limbo City Annual Masquerade Ball on [Today's Date] at 8PM._

_"_ So much for going to the ball _."_ You muttered.

You paused.

_Wait a minute._

_**To Our Dearest Vergil, you are hereby invited to attend Limbo City Annual Masquerade Ball on [Today's Date] at 8PM.** _

Holy shit! Your jaw dropped as you grabbed your phone and pressed the screen; it showed that it was [Today's Date] and it was now nearing 5 PM in the evening. Fuck! The ball was today! You should return the shoes right now! If you weren't going to go, you could at least give it to him and he could give it to the girl who would be going in your place, right? With that in mind, you hastily grabbed the shoebox and slid it into your old and tatty but reliable rucksack, zipping it up and grabbing your hoodie and converses at the same time. Hopping down the stairs, you could hear dad watching some lame comedy sitcom on TV. "Dad, I'm heading out! Eat dinner without me!"

He didn't reply, and as you looped the bag straps over yourself, you realized he was asleep and mumbling and muttering incoherently under his breath like last time. "...Run, [Y/N], run..."

You ignored him and slammed the door shut behind you, rushing into the dark and empty streets.

...

It really was a good thing you found out where Vergil lived, because you found yourself standing outside massive iron gates that stretched a mile or so and there were various elaborate designs sculpted on the top along with a sharp row of spikes to deter crooks. If this was Vergil's home, then he was indeed wealthy. A multimillionaire, perhaps. His mansion home was located in a fancy, expensive suburban area of Limbo City where all the elite stayed due to the massive houses that were built in this area. You couldn't even get a bus or train to arrive here; you had to get the subway, get off at a random stop and grab a cab. It took you an hour to arrive here, indicating how far it was from where you stayed and also how far it was from the club (unfortunately your apartment and the club were in the seedier, cheaper parts of town). You clutched meekly at the bars whilst staring desolately at a splendid garden and driveway that was the size of an Olympic swimming pool. A distance away, a large mansion stood proudly with two towering water fountains on each side.

You thought to yourself nervously: _Looks like no-one is home... maybe I should get out of here..._

Suddenly, a bright light shone from behind you and you turned round, having to shield your eyes with your hand as the light grew stronger and stronger and you could hear the low chug of a car coming closer. Someone was coming! However, the car soon came to a stop and you heard the doors open - a group of men dressed in black suits came out and swarmed you in seconds.

"H-hey, wait - " You started, but they quickly closed in on you and a damp rag was forced over your mouth before you could scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, thanks for the continued support! This was a pretty long chapter because so many things happened.
> 
> Also, the 'glass slipper' is actually one of Jimmy Choo's shoes, adequately named the 'Cinderella' Ari, Allure or Avril high heel. The shoe is available in red, rose gold or silver. The silver shoe was really my inspiration for this chapter. Its so beautiful!!! *___*


	5. The Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I was so hyped to write this chapter because I've always wanted to write a majestic ballroom scene. I got inspiration from the Labyrinth and Van Helsing movie lol. 
> 
> Also, I'll be taking a short break after this to sort some stuff out in life so possibly won't be updating this for a while. Hope you enjoyed this chapter ^___^

* * *

**THE BALL**

* * *

 

...

...

...

You can make out the faint silhouette of a dancing figure.

The music is a slow, sad tune. You don't recognize it. The dancer seems oblivious to your presence. Her movements are streamlined and smooth as she glides over the floor. She is wearing a beautiful loose, white dress that twirls at her ankles as she moves. Her movements are lithe and controlled, she is able to move very fast and then slow down without losing the momentum. They are not simple steps either. You cannot stop watching, enraptured by her ethereal performance which she finishes with fouetté turns. You counted at least twenty, maybe more.

When she finally stops, she looks at your direction. "[Y/N]? What are you doing here? Were you watching me dance again?"

You step away from your hiding spot behind the curtains and clutch the sides of your dress, curtsying. "...Yes, Madame. I'm sorry."

Smiling, she approaches you, kneels down to your level and reaches for your hand. "Where's your parents?"

"Daddy's in the garden and mommy's in the kitchen making dinner for everybody."

She smiles, giving your hand a light, affectionate squeeze. "Don't you want to play with the boys in the garden?"

"Nuh-uh. They're mean and always telling me to go away." You say with a pout, and you can hear the woman sigh helplessly under her breath. You add, "Can I stay here with you, Madame?"

"Yes, of course."

"I like how you dance, Madame."

"This is a very special dance, [Y/N]. Would you like me to teach you?"

"Yes, please."

...

You groaned and opened your eyes, letting them adjust to the light. Letting out another impossibly loud groan, you placed a hand over your forehead and sighed as you forced yourself to sit up. Your shoulders felt achy, your body numb all over. What was the last thing you remembered...? Oh yes, you went to Vergil's address, discovered he lived in a huge mansion... then men in black came out of a car and kidnapped you -

Your eyes widened.

_Wait, what?!_

It occurred to you that you had been lying on a plush velvet recliner and you were in an unfamiliar room...and your clothes...

Your eyes widened as you gawped at yourself. No longer were you in your shabby hoodie, slacks and converses...

...You were dressed in a ball gown...

"EEeeek!" You shrieked as you jumped up off the chair, inspecting yourself. You were wearing an extravagant ruffled dress...it reminded you of one of those Quinceanera ones...even though you hated to admit that it was absolutely stunning... your waist had been squeezed into a corset which pushed your cleavage into view and the dress was the color of deep, plum red with off-shoulder straps and as you stuck your left foot out underneath the layers and layers of silky, expensive fabric you noticed your feet were clad in the heels which Vergil had gifted you with some time ago. Either your mind was playing tricks on you or the shoes went with your dress very well.

On your left wrist were a few silver bangles with crystals and your neck was weighed down with a dazzling diamond necklace. Touching your ears, someone had even taken the liberty to pop in some tear-shaped earrings. Even your fingers were not spared... On your index finger was a beautiful white gold ring with a diamond the size of pea. What the... who did this to you...and why? Glancing around the room, you saw that you were in a room the size of a small apartment. Aside from the lounger you had been dozing on, there were plenty of fancy-looking mahogany furniture galore... a mahogany closet with gold handles, a cupboard, a table and four chairs...there was even a sofa in one corner, a flatscreen TV fixed to the wall opposite it. Then there was the king sized four poster bed with luscious ruby red drapes and the walls were the shade of red also.

Feeling a little faint by the majestic room, you spotted the vanity table and the mirror framed in gold and rushed over, having to pick up your dress carefully to avoid stepping on it. Taking one good look at your reflection, your jaw dropped. Someone had done your make up...someone had patted your face with foundation, contoured your jaw, your nose and the frames of your face...someone had streaked your eyes with eyeshadow and outlined your eyes with thick eyeliner, plucked your brows and drew them...your lashes were flecked with mascara, your lashes long and dark... and your lips were a light red shade too...and your hair... what happened?! Your hair was curled, beautifully styled and fashioned into a loose bun and clipped into place with a white flower brooch with pearls and gems, leaving some hair to curl over your shoulders. You looked like you were about to attend a wedding, as the bride...

"AAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!" You screamed loudly, horrified.

And finally, two middle-aged women donned in long, flowing gowns soon rushed to your aid; one was holding a pitcher of water and the other was holding a hairbrush in hand. "Mi'lady?!" One of the ladies cried out worriedly as they stopped by your side.

"Are you alright, mi'lady?" chimed the other. All you could do was stare at the two women before you in stunned silence. Had you woken up in a different world or some kind of parallel dimension?

"...Where am I?! Who are you?" You croaked out. "Why am I dressed like this? Who did this...who dressed me?! And where are my clothes?!"

The two women glanced at each other uneasily and then did a little curtsy. "Mi'lady. This is Master's home...he is waiting for you in the Grand Ballroom. We are his servants and were instructed to take good care of you...everything you are wearing is a gift from our Master. It was us who dressed you. Your clothes are being taken care of this instant in the pantry."

Although you noticed that she was answering your questions in order, you couldn't help but blink blankly.

The two maids did a curtsy again. "If there is nothing else, now that you have awoken, our Master awaits you."

"Um...what? Master? Who?" You blurted out, "Wh-what's going on here?"

"The ball, mi'lady."

You looked at the two women helplessly. "Ball?!" You spluttered. "You mean...The Limbo City Masquerade Ball?"

They nodded.

Your jaw dropped slightly. "I don't want to go to the ball! I want to go home!"

"Oh no, mi'lady, you can't possibly go now. The ball has already started and you are the main guest of honor. You cannot leave."

Now you were seriously confused. "I want to go home!" You repeated angrily.

They suddenly dropped to their knees before you. "Mi'lady, please don't leave. Master will be angry and punish us for letting you leave."

You blinked. They would get punished? Oh well...not your problem, right? You looked at them and saw the fear in their eyes. Oh dear...okay, they looked genuine enough... You couldn't help but feel the twinge of guilt in your gut. You didn't want anyone to get into trouble... With that in mind, you sighed. "I-it's okay, there's no need to be scared. I won't leave. Take me to the ball." And then I can find somewhere to slip out and get away from here, you thought. Then no-one gets in trouble, right?

"Thank you, mi'lady!" They cried with relief.

You let the ladies escort you out of the room and you found yourself in a large hall. It was essentially a long stretch of corridor with a ceiling so high you were sure it was taller than the apartment complex you lived in... not to mention, all the furniture in the hall... it was either gold or plated in gold... and the walls were also either painted on or covered with exotic paintings whilst suits of armour and sculptures stood proudly in strategically placed spots on the floor. What the...it was as though you had stepped into Buckingham Palace or some of the sort! You nervously bit down on your lip even though the maids told you not to or else you risked ruining their handiwork. They led you down a large winding staircase where you passed many servants and other doors and corridors, and finally the maids stopped at a large set of double doors and your heart started thumping harder as you could hear muffled noisy chatter and gentle violin music emitting within.

"We're here." One of the maids said aloud. "Mi'lady, please take your mask."

Turning to them, you blinked. "Huh? Oh." You muttered your thanks as they presented to you a red velvet cushion where a black silk mask lined with gold sat atop; it was embroidered with feathers and multicolored jewels which you settled over your eyes. They helped adjust the strap behind your head, tying it for you tightly to prevent it from falling off.

"Are you ready, mi'lady?" They asked, "We will also be escorting you."

"Yes, yes, just open the door."

"Yes, mi'lady..." The two maids stepped over to each door with their heads high, grabbed the handle, and in unison, pulled on the handle and the doors opened them for you.

You were not prepared for the sight before you.

Not at all.

You stood at the doorway that led to a splendid Gothic cathedral hall. You swallowed down the lump that had suddenly made it's presence known in your throat as the soft, mellow violin music that had been playing stopped rather abruptly upon your arrival. Simultaneously, so did the chatter of the numerous party guests from within who were also dressed in ball gowns and suits with their faces covered by Venetian masks. All eyes landed on you and you shifted your gaze left and right, realizing the attention was on you all of a sudden. Were you that late? Was there something wrong with your hair? Your clothes? Wait, the maids did mention that you were the 'main guest of honor'. That did not make sense to you at all. You barely knew anyone in Limbo City. Only Jade was your closest friend and you didn't think she had the gall or the reason or ability to pull this off. The maids kept you grounded in reality, taking one step forwards and since they were supporting you by the arms very gently, you had no choice but to move forwards with them. You weren't sure where to look - everything was a rather colorful assault to your eyes. The entire hall was flamboyant, the ceiling etched with many complex rib vaults. Huge and wondrous chandeliers hovered above you, carrying thousands of tiny lit candles. As you made your way through with the maids at your sides, the guests also parted ways for you.

You couldn't help but sweat; you could not tell who was who or if you even knew who they were - they were all wearing masks ranging from beautiful sequin, feathered masks that covered only their eyes to expressionless white masks that covered their entire faces. Some were also wearing elaborate masks that were fashioned after clowns or animals. As noted, the men wore tuxedoes whilst the ladies wore brilliant ball gowns. A few waiters and waitresses passed you and you noticed they too were not excluded from the dress list - they were also wearing formal attire and masks. Everyone was staring at you and whispering, the ladies hiding behind fans whilst the men stood beside their partners employing hushed tones.

Maybe it was not a good idea not to look at them because they frightened you to some extent. Instead, you spotted the costumed jugglers in the corner, the long-haired, unshaven man who was donned in leather and belting out fire, then you saw the group of beautiful fairy-like young women spinning ten plates on sticks in the air... you also saw the acrobats who were busy contorting their bodies into disgustingly disturbing positions and you were even more intimidated than before. You decided to avert your gaze to the ceiling and it was then you saw the ballerina balancing atop a tightrope that connected from one side of the ceiling to the other. Your eyes widened behind your mask as you watched her dance on the rope, spinning on one foot before raising her arms high up gracefully.

Suddenly, everything came to a stop. The maids had escorted you to the middle of the ballroom where they suddenly let go of you. You glanced left and right questioningly as they departed from your side with a gracious bow and began backing into the crowd with their heads low before they quickly disappeared from sight. Now you felt truly alone. The guests had formed a circle around you and you absolutely had no idea what was going on until the crowd began to part again and you heard lone steps echoing; a man was walking towards your direction. He was dressed in a long black suit jacket and slacks with a white shirt underneath. A cravat was wrapped around his neck neatly, held together by a deep blue brooch. He too, like all the guests, wore an exquisite mask except his matched yours - the mask was also black and lined in gold but decorated with blue jewels.

You knew who it was immediately because the silvery white hair and those light-blue eyes gave it all away.

You could only gawp at him in shock as he stopped before you and although were tempted to take one step back, you stood your ground stiffly. With one arm behind his back, he gave you a mild bow and then held out his other hand to you. You looked at his white gloved hand and blinked at him, and when he noticed you were not responding, he glanced up at you. Taking the hint, you cautiously slipped your hand into his. Holding your hand gently, Vergil bowed and kissed your knuckles.

"May I have this dance?" He murmured.

"What are you doing?" You hissed under your breath.

He offered you a smile. "Play along, [Y/N], everyone is watching us... and we have a role to fulfil." He replied, and you didn't understand or fathom what the meaning of what he was saying was until he moved even closer to you and took your hand. You noticed immediately that his fingers closed loosely over your right hand, his left arm raised but his elbow was slightly lower than his shoulder, his elbow in a sharp bend. He brought you close to him, his right arm sloping downwards from shoulder to elbow, his right hand placed comfortably not on your waist but slightly higher, just on your left shoulder blade.

"Vergil, what is this? What's going on?" You tried again.

He ignored you. "You may resume playing." Vergil commanded to the musicians who were seated on the raised platform near the buffet. The conductor nodded and tapped his stick on the music stand and immediately, the music started again. It was a slow waltz and since you had learned this dance before, you let out a defeated sigh under your breath and quickly moved your hands and legs into position, with your hand in his and the other on his shoulder accordingly, and he seemed pleased with your co-operation. Vergil was already leading you around the ballroom floor flawlessly in rhythm and tune to the velvety melody of the violins. As he moved with his left foot first, you stepped back with your right. He stepped to the right; you followed his movement with your left. He closed his left foot to his right. You followed, performing the mirrored version. He stepped back with his right foot to which you moved forward with your left. You could tell he was impressed because his gaze never left yours.

"Surprised?" You asked.

"Not at all." He murmured under his breath; following you and Vergil's example, the other patrons also found their partners and everyone started dancing. Now you were no longer the focus of attention, both you and Vergil were blending in with the rest. Vergil muttered, "Though there was no harm in taking up my offer."

"On what? Free dancing lessons?" You whispered in response. You had to admit, you were surprised he was able to do so well considering how tricky the waltz could be.

He chuckled. "I see you have no issues."

You smiled wryly at him. "Trust me, Vergil, I'm a natural." You said, "...You're good at this too."

"My parents and I have attended many events of this kind in the past. I had to learn."

"Why did you stop going to the club?" You asked. You didn't care how all of a sudden it was.

He hesitated, then said, "I informed you beforehand... I had many preparations to make; I was extremely busy."

So this was what he meant by preparations. A few seconds later, you then said, "Vergil."

"Yes?"

"I'm...I'm dancing."

"Yes."

"No, listen, I didn't tell you this before... I used to be a dancer but I got into an accident a few years ago. The doctor said I couldn't put any strain on my feet, including dancing, so I quit."

"But you're fine right now, aren't you?"

You sounded unsure, "I-I think so. Yes, I...I-I think it's okay because it's a slow dance." And he smiled and you responded with a small smile of your own. "Vergil?"

"Yes, [Y/N]?"

"...This actually feels nice, to be dancing again."

"Perhaps you should consider dancing once more." He glanced at you briefly, "You dance wonderfully, [Y/N]."

You couldn't help but smile. When the music stopped, indicating the dance was over, the other couples stepped away from each other to curtsy and bow and the ballroom was alit with applause which echoed loudly within the hall as the music conductor bowed to the guests in response before moving to the next song - a quicker, livelier quickstep. Vergil did not let go of you, however; instead, he chose to stand close to you and hold your hands in his fondly.

Looking up at him, you said, "Why did you do all of this?"

He glanced at you from the bottom of his eyes. "Because you are very special to me." When your breath lodged in your throat, Vergil gestured to the open doors nearby that led to the balcony. "Perhaps we can speak more outside?"

"Sure."

With his hand on your back, Vergil led you to the right direction and a passing waiter stopped before the two of you. "Wine, sir? Madame?"

"Um, no thanks, I probably shouldn't drink..." You said, but Vergil lifted two glasses containing red wine off the tray and handed one to you.

"I insist you try some."

Since Vergil was offering, you didn't think it wise to refuse. "Okay." Taking a sip, you found the taste rather sweet but strong and as you swallowed, it burned the back of your throat.

"Shall we?" Vergil said, and you nodded.

You walked with him. The shoes had done their job perfectly; your feet were not in pain at all. Once you were outside, you breathed in some fresh air and went to the railing, taking in the view of the beautiful stretch of garden before you and the starry sky above where the moon was bright and full. Outside, you could see that there were also guests dressed in costumes and masks gathered in small groups, bathed in a dim glow from the lighting inside. "This is your mansion, right?" You asked, as Vergil approached you.

"Indeed." He placed his glass on the railing to loosen the straps of his mask, removing it. He looked incredibly dangerously handsome tonight... You gazed into warm light-blue eyes as you took a large sip from your drink.

"You said you were invited to the ball."

"I did, and I am, but there were many potential venues for the ball and my manor was chosen."

You scratched your head, "This is really weird. The last thing I remember before I woke up dressed like this...well, I was standing outside your gates and then this car pulled up and men came out to get me."

"Ah, yes, forgive me for my...unsubtle approach." Vergil replied as he stood close to you, your shoulders brushing, "However, I don't recall ever telling you where I lived."

"Oh, that. Well, as you said, it was up to me to figure out, right?"

He chuckled in response. "[Y/N]..." He murmured and you turned to him, balancing the wine glass in your hand.

"Yes?" You took another big sip and another until the wine glass was empty. Whoo, that was some pretty good but strong stuff. You noticed a waiter nearby and quickly grabbed his attention, plucking off another glass of wine off his tray and downing the contents quickly. Vergil watched you with his brow raised but said nothing. "This is really good wine." You commented.

"[Y/N]." Vergil warned, but you merely waved him off and grabbed another glass, drinking that one quickly, too.

"I'm fine." You slurred slightly. No way. Were you drunk already? But you only had three glasses... usually you could do better than that! Stretching slightly, you smiled widely at him and then glanced at the sky, at the full moon. For a few brief moments, it was silent between you and Vergil as you stood side-by-side, staring up at the dark sky, your shoulders touching. Breaking the stillness, you said, "Remember I told you I used to dance?"

"Yes."

"I was inspired to dance a long time ago by a woman...I don't remember anything about her but I remember this dance she taught me."

You left the balcony railing, took a few steps backwards and seeing that the space around you was clear, you stuck out your right foot, toe pointed. It was a little difficult using the high heels but nevertheless, Vergil watched you from his spot as you held his gaze, then took a deep breath and moved forwards, taking two steps, three steps, and four with your arms lifted gracefully in the air, you twirled slowly but gracefully and stopped, lowering your arms but keeping them out wide gently and slowly, poised, then you pulled back and took another two steps forward, pirouetting - and stopped again - you lifted your arms in front of you, kept your head down and then slowly drew yourself backwards into a graceful arch, sliding one foot forwards. Vergil watched you silently the entire time.

When you lifted yourself up, you attempted to spin - which you could no longer do because it put too much strain on your foot - but this time it must have been the alcohol thrumming in your veins for you quickly lifted yourself up on your toes as much as possible and spun - but then there came the sharp pain in your heel and with a yelp, you lost your footing -

Before you fell, Vergil caught you instantaneously and you found yourself safe in his arms. "Careful." He said with a chuckle, slowly bringing you back to your feet to stand.

You stared at him and he stared at you, his hands firmly planted on your waist. "Vergil..." You mumbled as you gazed at his lips. You wanted to kiss him badly.

His eyes searched you for a moment before he let go of you slowly, reaching for your mask; he started untying the black ribbon from behind your head and he removed the mask. He placed his hand on your cheek, stroking you affectionately before he took your chin and tilted you up to him. He moved closer and closer to you, the gap between you becoming smaller and smaller. You closed your eyes in anticipation and when your lips met, he kissed you, softly at first, and then gradually grew deeper and deeper until you were clinging to him. You thoroughly melted into the kiss. Uncontrollable tremors shook your very wellbeing. You had missed the feeling of Vergil's lips on yours for a long time. How could this feel so right? Your heart thudded louder, your body on fire.

"[Y/N]," He murmured, when he finally drew apart from you, "...We should go back inside."

Nodding weakly, you let him guide you back to the ballroom where the music and chatter was loud. Your head throbbing, the room around you started to spin and you found your knees weak and you were beginning to wobble if Vergil was not holding you up.

"[Y/N]?" His voice echoed and as you looked up, Vergil split into two, then three.

"...I don't feel so good..." You muttered, holding your head.

"You've had too much to drink."

"No...I only had a few glasses..."

"Marion?" He was calling, "Marion!"

Immediately, a familiar figure scurried out from the crowd and stopped before the both of you. It was one of the maids from earlier. "Yes, Master?"

"Please escort [Y/N] to her room."

"Right away, sir."

Vergil threw his gaze to your limp form. "Can you walk?"

"Yeash, shure I can..." You slurred.

Shaking his head, Vergil handed you over to his servant. "She is fatigued and needs rest. I'll go see to her shortly."

"Yes, Master." Reaching for you, Marion grabbed your hand gently. "Let's go, milady."

"Wait, where're you takin' me?" You muttered groggily as Marion led you out of the ballroom, "...Vergil? Vergil?"

Glancing around, Vergil was nowhere to be seen.


	6. The Bath and the Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for lemon in this chapter. Enjoy

* * *

**THE BATH AND THE BED**

* * *

 

...

...

...

The maid called Marion, or 'Maid Marion' as you were going to call her from now on, guided you to the room you had initially woken up in. Before taking her leave, she handed you your rucksack which had been kept safe in one of the many cupboards and lay out some underwear for you to wear for the rest of the night.

"Milady, you've really had too much to drink." She said.

"...I only had a few glasses..." You insisted as you held your head in your hands, rolling around on the bed.

"I'll be taking my leave for now. Goodnight, milady."

You heard her exit the room, closing the door and you were alone. The room fell silent.

 _Can I really stay here for the rest of the night...?_ You thought. Reaching for your bag, you managed to grapple your phone out of your rucksack and you saw that you had a few missed texts from Jade but that was about it. You were also running low on battery. Hoping Vergil wouldn't mind, you plugged your charger into a convenient wall socket nearby and let it charge.

After you messaged Jade back albeit a little drunkenly, you put the phone down on the table and let out a sigh and flopped over the bed, exhausted. Your head throbbed and you were tired to the core...

You closed your eyes for a brief moment before re-opening them, staring at the mahogany ceiling of the four poster bed before settling your eyes on the drapes that hung from the sides. What a crazy night. It dawned to you that Vergil purposely had men come out to get you and knock you out, then had you dressed up in a beautiful dress by his servants before they delivered you to him. Wait a second, that sounded messed up all of a sudden. It didn't cross your mind at the ball because you were so wrapped up by the events and how ethereal it was...like something out of a movie...but now you were here and finally left to think so you were able to contemplate more about the situation. Also, you were now staying in Vergil's home. A customer's home. What did this mean? You had also been dancing! You were able to dance! Happiness swelled in your chest as you forced yourself to sit up, re-thinking about how you were managed to dance the waltz and felt no pain like usual. Everyhing seemed to be happening so fast for you at this moment and the wine was taking over - you let out a bark of triumphant laughter.

However, now the dress was becoming so uncomfortable that you hastily pulled the strings of your corset out and you removed it from your waist and dropped it over the couch without much care. You also started removing all the fine jewelry you were adorned in and dumped them on the couch. Grabbing your shoes, you carefully eased them off your feet and wiggled your ankles in circles. So far, so good. You made sure the shoes were fine, placed them on the ground gently, then proceeded to strip yourself free of the dress and stepped out of it.

The maids had really dressed you up... even your undergarments were not your own, nope... you were clad in a posh and fancy silk black bra and panties set. Oh, never mind. you just wanted to sleep soon after your bath... You scampered over to the ensuite bathroom and opened the door, switching on the lights and glancing around the beautiful interior. The bathroom was designed like a dream...the room itself was as large as your lounge back at home and the pearly white bathtub was placed strategically in the middle, standing proud and gleaming brilliantly under the light. You noted the bathtub even had jacuzzi features as you inspected it properly. A clean sponge, loofah, face cloth and batches of folded long, fluffy white towels were sitting on a silver tray for your use. You looked for a shower head, but there was none. Bath it was, you supposed, as you switched the tap on and let hot water fill the tub, emptying some bubble bath inside before you moved to the sink and mirror, inspecting your reflection before you spotted some products standing on the shelf beside the toothbrush and mug. Strange, these were all the products you used at home, you thought, as you grabbed the bottle of makeup remover and looked at the label. It was a cheap drugstore brand. Shrugging, you began to remove your makeup. Vergil certainly knew how to take care of guests.

When the tub was full, you removed your underwear and slipped into the water. It was soothing on your body as you sat cross-legged in the middle of the tub with the water up to your shoulders and your eyes closed. The silence was comforting until you heard the door open and footstep entered. Perhaps it was Maid Marion with your nightclothes. You opened your eyes and glanced over to see none other than Vergil donned in a black bathrobe, entering the bathroom.

"[Y/N]." He greeted you warmly.

You were suddenly wide awake. "Vergil?! What are you doing?!" You exclaimed, hiding under the water.

"May I join you?"

At first, you stared at him blankly for a few minutes, before you averted your glance to both sides of the tub. "...Sure."

"Thank you."

You looked away and you heard the rustling of the robe and then you heard him nearing you and he slid into the bathtub to your left, easing himself into the water comfortably before he brought you into his embrace, wrapping his arms around you from behind and crushing you into his chest. You were right from the first time you laid eyes on his physique; whilst not as built and prominently chiseled as Dante, his muscles were sturdy and hard, his arms strong and holding you so tightly. You closed your eyes as you rest against his chest, feeling his damp fingers brush away your hair from your face. He held you close, pressing his lips against your temple, cheeks and neck. He stopped to place a gentle kiss on your shoulder and you could feel him smiling against your skin. It was a quiet, gentle moment as you kept still and let him kiss and nuzzle you affectionately. Even though you were both naked, you didn't mention anything about it. You just let him hold you.

"Feel better?" He murmured.

"Mm-hmm..."

"Did you enjoy the masquerade ball?"

"I did. But what are you doing here? ...What about your guests?"

"It does not matter if my presence is there."

You added, "You owe the club a lot of money for this."

He chuckled. "Yes, I've used much of your precious time. Forgive me."

You let out a stifled laugh. "I was kidding."

He tightened his hold on you. "Why do you work at the club? You don't belong there, [Y/N]."

Belong? It wasn’t a matter whether you belonged there or not. You tried not to laugh at his statement. Your mind was beginning to clear up now since you were able to hold a conversation with him. "Vergil, it's hard to find a job these days, especially with what happened to me. People don't want to hire a cripple." You sat up in his lap, turning to face him as he let go of you to rest his arms on the sides of the tub, water splashing. "I attended physical therapy for a long time. But my legs aren’t the same after my accident."

”Ah yes, you mentioned that...”

”Yeah, I got hit by a car a few years ago and can no longer dance.”

His expression dampened. "Then tonight..."

"It's okay, I was fine."

”I wasn’t aware. I apologize, if you felt I had coerced you into doing something you were not comfortable with.” 

“Vergil, it’s fine.” You said, trying to smile. “I really enjoyed myself tonight and my feet don’t hurt.”

"Do you still attend therapy?"

"Sometimes."

"Then let me help; I will have Limbo City's finest physicians tend to you."

You touched his cheeks affectionately. "That's really sweet of you, Vergil...but honestly, I'm okay."

The bathroom fell silent again until he spoke once more.

"I no longer want to see you at the club. I do not want to be merely a customer and I hope you feel the same." He murmured; he took your hands in his, kissing the back of your palm. "I want you by my side, [Y/N]."

You gazed at him for a while then threw your gaze down to your lap. Vergil no longer wanted to see you at the club as a customer... Indeed, you did feel the same as well; you didn't care for the club or anything along the sort. In fact, the club was restricting you, both of you. Now you had the chance to break free. At the moment, you believed everything he said and you had really enjoyed his company since you met him and you got on well...and yes, whenever you had your sessions, you felt more for him than other customers. Vergil was so much more to you than a customer.

Slowly, you moved closer to him to straddle him; the bubbles had been covering most of your body but you sat up properly and he stared at your nakedness, the water dripping off your breasts, over your nipples and down the rest of your body. He stared at you but did not touch. Leaning forwards, you placed your hands gently on the sides of his face and pressed your lips against his. Vergil reciprocated the kiss immediately, his hands grabbed you by the waist and you put your hands on his shoulders and weaved your damp hands into his hair. His hands clamped firmly around you, pressing you tight against his body, your breasts pushed against his chest.

You could feel his shoulders going tense for a split second before slowly loosening when you ran your hand down the side of his face and down his chest, then you started to reach down between your bodies; you grasped his shaft in your hand and rubbed his tip, making him break apart from you to inhale sharply for a brief moment as he flicked his gaze to you. You silently guided him inside, pushing his tip between your folds. Your brows furrowed as you closed your eyes; he was big...but the water was helping and making you wetter for him than usual; he slipped inside your entrance easily, your walls stretching to accommodate his width and you eased yourself down until you had him buried all the way to the hilt.

You heard him emit a quiet grunt before he leaned forwards, capturing your lips with his in a harsh kiss. You started to move at the same time when you were finally comfortable, rising slowly up and down on his length and he broke off the kiss to moan.

"[Y/N]..." Your name escaped his lips in a choked murmur as you rode him as sensually as you could, undulating your hips against his. Vergil moved his hands to your rear as you continued the torturous movements. He let out a groan as you rocked back and forth on his lap, rubbing your ass against him, grinding. You enjoyed how much you were torturing him with this, witnessing the pleasure that was all over his face.

"Vergil..." You whispered as you leaned over him, your lips by his ear. "How does that feel? Does that feel good?"

His response was a pained grunt of approval as he held you in his arms. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you bounced up and down on his cock languidly, panting and moaning as seductively as you could in his ear. He started thrusting inside you, instincts taking over and he was rubbing his shaft up and down inside you, stroking your walls and hitting his tip against you, going as far as he could go. His grip on you increased tenfold and you closed your eyes as you both moved together in unison, the water lapping at your bodies. With each roll of your hips, you were gasping in bliss as he buried himself inside you nice and warm and thick, his cock slipping in and out. You bit down on your bottom lip, dragging in air between your teeth.

"Vergil..." You breathed out in ecstasy as he thrust into you; you held him to your bosom, moaning as he pumped his cock rhythmically. He held you in return, keeping his groans muffled against your damp skin, his lips gliding over on your face and body. He kissed your breasts and your nipples, licking and suckling your buds. His fingers dug into your ass and you whimpered, running your hands through his hair, grabbing fistfuls. You cried out, closing your eyes.

"[Y/N]." He grunted, releasing you with a pop to concentrate more on fucking you as hard as he could; you believed he was coming soon and after a few desperate thrusts, his cock surged and hot semen filled you up inside. Your toes curling, you breathlessly moaned out his name as you orgasmed and slumped over his shoulder, your face hot and red. There were a few moments of nothing but heavy breathing as you sat still in his embrace with his arms around you and you were clinging onto him, your body trembling from the aftermath, riding out the waves. Once you caught your breath, you took his face in your hands and crushed your bruised lips over his. Vergil kissed you roughly in response and you could really feel his desire for you; you brushed his hair away from his eyes, tracing his bottom lip whilst he murmured, "Let's go to the bedroom."

Before you could reply, he lifted you up effortlessly in his arms and climbed out of the bathtub. You were still sopping wet as you clung to him; Vergil also slipped out of you but you didn't mind. His bathrobe, including yours, was forgotten as Vergil carried you out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where he deposited you on the bed. Your back hit the soft sheets as you lay naked before him, trying to sit up but he stopped you.

"Vergil?" You started, but he climbed over you and caged you with his body; he proceeded to spread your legs apart before he entered you again in one swift movement, pushing himself past your folds and sliding in deep inside your wet pussy.

Gasping, you automatically wrapped your arms around him and clawed at his back, stabbing your fingernails into his shoulders as he started moving inside you with his arms wrapped around you securely. "Ah!"

He was grunting, thrusting into you at a rather fast pace. "...[Y/N]."

"Vergil!" You cried out helplessly as he drove into you, squeezing your eyes shut. The bed was squeaking nonstop underneath your bodies, the columns of the four poster shaking from his rough movements, the curtains trembling. Your legs were dangling in the air, knees bent. You crushed your fingers into his hair. "Ahh...!"

You wrapped your arms around him tightly, burying your head into his shoulder as he pumped into you vigorously, slamming his hips against yours again and again. You threw your head back, mouth agape, back arching whilst his lips attacked your skin everywhere, your body wet and hot from his kisses, his grip on you strong and possessive. You loved sweet and kind Vergil. But you also liked this side of Vergil, too. Yes, you wanted this. You didn't want him to be gentle with you. Not tonight. You were glad you were seeing this side to him, the one where he was losing control and getting rough and possessive. You wanted him to show dominance, to exert control. You wanted to know how much he desired you, how much he wanted you. He felt so good inside you too, you didn't want him to stop.

Leaning up, you pressed your lips by his ear. "Fuck me, Vergil." You whispered, "Fuck me."

You could feel him smirking against your skin before he spread your legs even further apart.

Vergil fucked you hard all night.


	7. The Maid

* * *

**THE MAID**

* * *

 

...

...

...

_Moaning._

_Lots and lots of moaning._

_"I love you, [Y/N]." He murmured in your ear._

_You were underneath him, locked in his tight embrace on the bed; he was making love to you passionately. You writhed underneath him, enraptured with the pleasure he was giving you. He was driving you crazy - his touch, every gentle caress, his lips hot on your skin... Everything. You were filled with thoughts of him and only him._

_"Vergil, I love you." You moaned as he thrust inside you, "I love you so much..."_

...

You woke up from a dream; a rather intense and explicit dream which felt very real and vivid. You were dreaming of lying on this very bed and in this very room with Vergil. However, something felt off. They say people forget the dream the moment they wake up, but you remembered it quite well - the Vergil in your dream had shorter hair and looked a little younger, too. Oh whatever, it was just a dream... it was not like you had never had these kinds of dreams before. You rubbed your eyes and groaned as the daylight that was seeping through the cracks of the curtains hit you squarely in the face, at the same time discovering that you were very wet and rather achy between the legs. Also, Vergil was spooning you from behind; he was already awake and watching you, kissing you on the bare shoulder.

"Good morning, [Y/N]." He murmured.

Turning to him, you smiled lazily. "...Morning, Vergil." You let out a chuckle as he kissed and nuzzled your cheek. "...I can't believe I stayed here all night..."

"You should stay for the rest of the day too."

You chuckled, cupping his cheek with your hand. "I'd love to but I can't."

"Mm, stay until the afternoon at the very least." He murmured in your ear, kissing your neck whilst crushing you into his warm embrace, his arms tightening around you.

Both of you were naked under the sheets and although your body was aching all over from last night, it didn't stop you from wanting to have another romp; Vergil climbed over you and you were more than happy to wrap your arms around him and although it seemed he just wanted to hold you, you decided to spread your legs apart, inviting him in; at your invitation, Vergil took your face in his hands, stroking your cheeks whilst you nodded, indicating your consent. Exchanging smiles, you proceeded to moan as he entered you and you felt how big he was and when he realized how wet you were, he raised a brow as he slipped inside. Once he was buried to the hilt, he made sure you were comfortable before he started thrusting. You closed your eyes, holding him close as he pumped inside you.

"Vergil..." You moaned as he grabbed your legs, spreading them apart even wider so he could thrust inside you deeper. "MMmm, that feels good...God, you're so big." Clutching the sheets, you panted as he settled himself between your legs and fucked you roughly, the springs in the mattress squeaking loudly underneath your bodies.

He was grunting, burying his face into your neck, trailing deep kisses over your skin. You moaned in response and wrapped your arms around his back and weaved your fingers into his silver tresses... you held him in place above you; he was careful not to crush you with his weight as he slammed into you again and again, making you cry and squeal with delight in response to each strong thrust. 

However, you were soon interrupted by the loud knocking on the door and a muffled voice from outside said, "Master Vergil?" It was a female's voice, but not Marion. 

You could hear your lover groaning for a different reason and Vergil stopped kissing your neck and poked his head out of the sheets. "...Sitri? What is it?" He sounded a little exasperated.

"Breakfast is served, sir."

"We'll be downstairs in a while. Leave us."

"Very well..."

You laughed as Vergil smirked at you.

...

The morning had gone by quickly with you and Vergil cuddling and sharing sweet kisses under the duvet after having sex before he had to get up and get ready for work. He had a few errands to do and he said he would complete them quickly so you probably wouldn't see him until a few hours later. You were allowed to have breakfast at his massive dining room but since Vergil was not here, you didn't really enjoy being on your lonesome and decided to do some exploring since Vergil was so insistent in having you stay here for the remainder of the day. Today was your day off for both the Devil's Dalliance and the diner, so you had a completely free day. Too bad Vergil was at work or else you could've had more sex.

After a fulfilling breakfast consisting of cereal, hot toast, muesli and lots of coffee, it dawned to you that you had spent the entire time thinking about how kinky Vergil actually was, how big he was and how good the sex was despite your belief that Vergil was a virgin. Perhaps he wasn't one after all. You felt your cheeks redden and you giggled to yourself. It was only when the butler took your plate and cutlery away did you snap out of your reverie. Marion went to collect you as the servants cleared the rest of the table.

"Good morning milady, how was your breakfast?" She said cheerfully as you rose from your seat.

"Marion! Good morning. Breakfast was wonderful."

"Very good. Shall I escort you to your room- "

" **Marion**."

Maid Marion was interrupted by another voice that had appeared from nowhere. You and Marion both turned to the right to see a thin girl dressed in a black and white maid's frock with the collar buttoned, covering her entire neck; her face was terribly pale, her chin pointed... her hair was long and jet black, her bangs cut straight...and her eyes were sunken and heavy dark circles were prevalent underneath. Her hands, which she had clasped in front of her gently, were covered by white gloves.

Oh, good morning, Sitri." Marion greeted her warmly and the two servants exchanged a bow.

"Master Vergil has assigned me to assist Ms [L/N] from hereon. You are dismissed." said the girl called Sitri. Even though she looked younger than Marion, you were surprised to see her giving orders.

"Really?" Marion turned to you. "Alright. Please excuse me then, Mi'lady. You will be in good hands with Sitri."

You averted your gaze from Marion, to Sitri. She looked at you impassively in return and although you smiled, she did not return your gesture, or blink for all that mattered. No...she held your gaze and said nothing. Her staring also intensified. 

"This way, mi'lady." Sitri said, turning to the exit and you could do nothing but follow whilst Marion left the other way. You watched Marion a little worriedly. "We shall take a shortcut today." She added, and she turned to go down the right corridor. You stopped in your path immediately as you were hit by a bout of deja vu. Whoa. This was weird... Sitri didn't seem to notice that you had paused completely in your tracks and continued striding the hallway in a rather rigid, robotic gait; shaking your head to clear your thoughts, the feeling of deja vu disappeared soon and you quickly followed her through the rest of the hall, spotting a large portrait up ahead. It was so large it stretched from the ground to ceiling, and it featured a woman with red hair holding a green rose in hands, smiling gently. You stopped, squinting your eyes at the portrait. This woman...you felt like you had seen her before...

"That's..." You started, and Sitri paused also.

"It is called 'Portrait of an Angel'. Master Vergil painted it."

You turned to Sitri who was standing by your side, your jaw dropping. "Vergil _painted_ this?!"

"Yes, he painted it at the age of sixteen."

"Sixteen?! Whoa..."

"Master Vergil is very talented... and he has painted many before that one... he has also sold aplenty of them at auctions. This one is his favorite, however."

"She's beautiful."

"If there is nothing else, shall we continue?"

"Sure." You muttered. But you couldn't shake off the feeling that you had seen her and you knew her from somewhere...

Sitri guided you to your room and you entered only to see maids inside changing the pillowcases and sheets of the bed. They had also laid out some clothes for you on the couch. Once you entered however, they bowed at you politely and started leaving the room with bundles of dirty sheets in your hands. Sitri walked to the couch and gestured to the clothes. "Mi'lady, we have prepared some outfits for you today."

"Thanks, Sitri." You said as you walked over to inspect what the maids had provided. You saw many pairs of underwear laid out for you, lacy bras and panties of all colors. "...Vergil did this all for me?"

She took the liberty to explain. "Last night when we dressed you, we took note of your clothing size and Master Vergil ordered us to prepare all manners of clothing for you to wear during your stay here. Please feel free to wear whatever you like...Or if none of the items pleases you, please inform us and we will do our best."

You brushed a hand through your hair. Sheesh, Vergil did a lot for you behind the scenes. "That's really not necessary... I could just use my old clothes."

Sitri did not bat an eyelid in response. "Master Vergil always wants the best for you, mi'lady. Also...your clothes are being washed."

"I see." Picking up the black bra and panties set, you also stole a quick glance to the clothes that were lay before you - a white sundress, a short white dress with straps, and another white maxi dress. "...Vergil must like white a lot."

"Master likes seeing you in white." Sitri said.

'Hey Sitri, I have a question."

"...Yes, mil'ady?"

"Where are Vergil's parents?"

"They have moved out. This manor is entrusted to Master Vergil's care."

You blinked wide-eyed. "...Oh. I see. Well, uh, I'm gonna get dressed."

"Very good." Sitri excused herself so you could dress in private, and as she closed the door, she murmured, "Welcome back, mi'lady."

...

Vergil returned to the manor around two in the afternoon. You had spent most of the time outside in the garden, sitting at the patio table, indulging in teatime snacks and drinking a cup of coffee when he entered through the double glass doors. The servants had provided you with a tablet so you were watching some news until it flicked to show a man wearing a rather creepy clown mask with his voice altered rambling on about matters you didn't really understand or care about, things like how the citizens of Limbo City had to wake up and face the demons that plagued the city.

"Booooooring." You said aloud, closing the video; you really hated watching the news; Bob Barbas' daily verbal attack on this crazy, delusional masked terrorist of Limbo City (who had been terrorizing the city for a year now), was starting to really get on your nerves.

"[Y/N]." Vergil called upon entering the doorway, loosening his tie and removing his hat.

You looked up from the tablet. "Vergil!" You exclaimed as you got up from your seat and approached him. "Welcome back. How was work?"

"Work was fine."

"Do you want to join me in the garden?"

"Sure." He replied. His servants went to hang up his coat and hat, and you took his arm and led him towards the table and chairs outside where you gestured for him to take the seat beside yours and he sat down, pulling the chair closer to you. "What did you do after I left?" He murmured, as you poured him a cup of coffee and inched it towards him.

"Just ate breakfast, went back to the room, got changed." You replied, gesturing to the short white dress you were wearing. "Do you like it?"

He chuckled. "It suits you perfectly."

You giggled and Vergil leaned in, bringing you close to him by wrapping his arm gently around your waist; you nuzzled him affectionately as he kissed you on the cheek. The servants approached with more scones and clotted cream on china plates. "More tea, mi'lady?" Glancing up, you saw none other than Sitri with tray in hands.

"Thanks, Sitri." You grabbed a large puffy scone off the gloomy girl's tray and started munching on it whilst Vergil picked up the tablet and opened the news app, reading the headlines where it said: 'Kyle Ryder Sweeps Up 1 Billion Business Deal'.

"Hey," You started, after you finished your scone, "I saw that portrait of the angel in the corridor. Sitri said you painted it."

He flicked his gaze to you, then to Sitri, who did a mild bow and turned to leave the garden. Glancing at you again, he said, "What did you think of it?"

"It's beautiful."

He chuckled, placing down the tablet and settling his hand over yours, giving you a tight squeeze. "That was my mother, Eva."

"...Mother? What happened to her?"

He put down his cup of coffee. "She passed away."

There was a brief silence following his revelation and you pouted, reaching for him and bringing him close into your embrace. "I'm sorry." You murmured, squeezing his hand in return and he gave you a light but thin smile in response. You kept your arms around him and he held you close in return. You didn't mention that you felt like you had seen her before.

"I'm fine." He said, smiling at you and taking your hand, brushing his lips over your knuckles. "Excuse me for a moment, I need a word with Sitri. She treated you well in my absence, I presume?"

You nodded. "Of course, Sitri was good to me." You replied, and Vergil stood up in his seat to leave.

* * *

 

Sitri was washing the dishes in one of the many sinks of Vergil's lavish kitchen when she sensed him approaching. It was devoid of other servants and butlers aside from herself at this moment, however. "Master Vergil. How may I be of assistance?"

"What are you doing?" He muttered gravelly, "I did not instruct you to approach her."

"Indeed, but I saw that Marion is not fit to look after the lady. I was concerned that Marion would only make things worse. The rest of the servants are already questioning as to why she doesn't remember any of their pathetic little faces."

Vergil stilled, frown worsening. "What will it take for you to leave?"

Sitri finally turned to him, her hands wet with soapy water. "...Leave? But I am bound to eternal servitude, Master, as per your request." She replied stoically.

"That was a long time ago. I have no use of you anymore. Begone."

Sitri slowly shook her head and started taking one step at a time towards him, her boots echoing off the polished floor. He did not move, standing his ground as she approached him. Stopping centimetres from him, they went eye to eye, but he could not see his reflection in her dull green eyes. She said, "Master Vergil. If it was not for me, you would not have had the opportunity to see her again. If it were not for me, you wouldn't have found her. And if it was not for me, she would not have returned to you as she has now. Shall I tell her **everything**?"

There was a steely silence in the air until he spoke.

"Indeed. If it were not for you, she would not be as she is now. Stay away from her; I forbid you to go near her, to speak to her. You will not harm her anymore." Vergil uttered darkly, "If you lay a finger on her again, I'll kill you. Do you understand?"

Sitri did not blink or budge from her spot. "...Yes, _Master_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, hope you enjoyed this chapter and the mystery and intrigue.


	8. The Crazy Rich Boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Tbh as much as I love Original Vergil, I also like DmC Vergil because he's so different and its fun to write about him. 
> 
> Warnings for lemon in this story (cos... you know...once the lemons in my stories start they don't stop lol).

* * *

**THE CRAZY RICH BOYFRIEND**

* * *

 

...

...

...

_You were watching her dance from your new hiding spot - in the closet amongst her dresses - it was perfect, the closet had these little thin horizontal slits on the doors so you were able to see. She had taught you that special dance as promised but she only taught you a few steps and then she would always abruptly cut it off and you would feel as though there was something missing. The dance was incomplete. Why was this dance so special to Madame anyway?_

_As you continued watching, you noted she was now coming to the part of the dance where she always stopped in her lessons. Curiosity thrumming in your veins, your eyes widened as Madame paused then glanced around carefully... and started to move again. She held her arms up, lifted her right leg high into the air and spun. She stopped almost at once with her feet poised. Then she slowly lowered herself to the ground with her arms out, head down, almost touching the tip of her toes._

_It went silent._

_And then...as Madame lifted her head up, you saw the thin slash of white light suddenly appearing in the middle of the room before her._

_Your eyes widened._

_Madame rose to stand and you could only gape in awe. The bright light was...alive, somehow. It was stretching forwards, reaching out and growing bigger and bigger. It grew stronger and stronger, the slit widening and encroaching everything in its wake. The room was beginning to disappear. The shining light was engulfing everything in the field of your vision, growing brighter and brighter until all you saw was nothing but white and your eyes were beginning to burn excruciatingly._

_Horrified, you started to scream, lifting your little shaking hands to your eyes._

_"[Y/N]?!" came Madame's startled voice._

_You heard frantic footsteps approaching you; the closet doors being pulled open. You tumbled out and onto the floor, writhing and screaming, clutching your burning eyes._

...

**Present.**

When you returned home from Vergil's mansion, you opened the door and spotted dad sitting on his favorite armchair as usual, watching TV. Tiptoeing inside, you closed the front door as quietly as you could behind yourself and removed your shoes, having re-dressed in your old clothes before you left. However, you were allowed to keep the shoes and dress as a present from Vergil. He drove you home, where you spent a good five to ten minutes kissing passionately in the front seat before leaving. You were going to see him again tomorrow in the afternoon, after your job at the diner but a few hours before your work at the Devil's Dalliance. He had a surprise in store for you, he said.

"Where'd you go?" Dad drawled, chugging down some beer. "You were gone all night."

"Went to a friend's house." You replied, checking your phone to see a few texts from Jade.

"By friend you mean 'boyfriend'."

"Since when did you care?"

Glancing at you from the top of the couch, dad frowned at you and then slowly sank back into his seat, muttering incoherently under his breath. Ignoring him and his comments, you went upstairs, heading up to your room with the boxes in hands. Once inside, you carefully lay them on your bed and removed the lids, revealing the crystal silver heels and the red dress, along with the black silk mask from the ball. Smiling at them widely, you closed the box and went to your closet, opening the doors. The top shelf would be the safest place to keep them.

...

The next day, it was hot and sunny and you went to meet Vergil as planned; he had asked you to meet him at Limbo City Pier. You had just come out from work at the diner so you weren't wearing any nice clothes except from your usual hoodie, denims and converses and your rucksack which was carrying your soaked apron and rubber gloves. Vergil didn't specify where to meet him exactly at the pier so you lingered near the docks, unsure where to go until you noticed a large white yacht approaching your direction with the letter 'V' painted on the side. Squinting your eyes, you were surprised to see Vergil.

"[Y/N]." He called, and your jaw dropped when the impressive boat stopped and Vergil appeared at the bow, having moored it perfectly aligned with the side of the pier. You were surprised to see that he was wearing casual attire; a white shirt and dark denims despite the heat.

 _Dude's got a boat...and dude's got a V on his boat. Just how crazy rich is he?_ you thought. "Are you holding a yacht party?" You yelled, just so he could hear you. It was so sunny you had to shield your eyes with your hand as you tried to look up at him.

"You could say that. A private one for you and me."

"This is great." You admitted as he let you on; you used a foldable, sturdy steel ladder to climb on and Vergil helped you inside. Immediately you could feel the boat swaying and bobbing up and down against the waves. "But I'm not even dressed properly. You should've told me to bring my Devil's Dalliance uniform."

He offered you a smile. "You'll be fine." Gesturing to the interior of the boat, Vergil led you inside with his hand on your back.

You went inside to see it was big enough to harbor a luscious U-shaped leather sofa inside and a small bar with a table. A white bikini set with a sarong was laid out for you for your taking; it looked quite similar to the Devil Dalliance's white bra and panty uniform. Vergil made another gesture for you and you nodded. "Alright." You muttered; by now, you realized how much Vergil prepared for you no matter what the occasion and although you weren't quite sure what else you could do, the weather was not helping so you grabbed the clothes and Vergil went to steer the boat, disappearing up the stairs.

You quickly got changed out of your attire and folded your clothes, placing them into your bag safely. When you finished getting dressed, you followed Vergil, going up the stairs to see him steering the boat further into the ocean and approached him from behind, wrapping your arms around his waist. "Hey." You purred in his ear, as he turned and smiled at you; he stopped the boat. Now it was just rocking gently up and down, unmoving in the ocean. You pecked him on the cheek affectionately as you nodded. "Just me and you out here, right? No-one else? No Marion, no Sitri?"

"Nobody else." He affirmed.

Although the servants were not present, the servants had already prepared dinner beforehand and had stored in the ship's makeshift kitchen and hours would pass where you chatted with Vergil and laughed and shared stories and talked. Soon, it was becoming dark and it would be time for you to leave for the club. Pouting slightly, you earnestly wished this wouldn't end as you gazed at the darkening sky above you forlornly. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around you from behind and Vergil was pressing his lips gently over the side of your face and neck. Giggling, you placed your hands over his and squeezed his palm affectionately.

"Shall we go downstairs?"

"Sure." You said, taking his hand in yours and leading him to the ladder. Vergil let you guide him downstairs to the sofa where he seated himself down and you climbed into his lap; he chuckled as you made yourself comfortable and he settled an arm around your waist, the other went to stroke your cheek affectionately; you wrapped your arms around the back of his neck just as he leaned forwards and you mirrored him also, your lips meeting in a fleeting kiss. When you pulled away, you smiled as he brushed some hair from your face. You liked looking at him; he was so handsome and you really enjoyed being with him. You could also feel the intensity of his gaze when he looked at you also, his eyes scanning you from head to toe. "I really missed you. Kept thinking about you all day and night." You murmured.

"Then stay with me," He muttered in response, leaning close to you until your lips were millimetres apart, "Don't go home. Don't go back."

You chuckled. "Vergil, you know I can't. I have work."

"That's not what I mean." He took your face in his hands, his light-blue eyes searching yours, "...Stay with me, [Y/N]."

"I could, and I would love to, but only if I didn't have to work."

His expression turned rather stoic then. "I can make arrangements."

You could only smile in response. You were so happy to see him... and so happy whenever you were with him. "I'm kidding, Vergil. I like my job, I have a really good friend at the club, Jade."

"...Jade?" Vergil questioned, brow raised.

"Yeah, we've been friends for years. It's crazy how we met. She was actually the only witness at the scene."

"Witness?" He proceeded to ask.

"Yeah, she saw the plate of the car that hit me and everything. We ran a check at Limbo City Hall of course...but nothing turned up. It was a false plate number they were using when they hit me." You replied, before you gave him an affectionate squeeze.

"You never found out who caused your accident?"

"No, it was a hit and run." You replied morosely, "But let's not talk about that any longer."

"Of course."

Taking his hands in yours, you started applying little kisses over his jaw. "Mm, I really want you right now." Pressing your lips to his ear, you added, " _I want you inside me_."

His lips curved into a smirk as you proceeded to sit upright in his lap; your eyes met, with Vergil's gaze on you becoming somewhat predatory, a possessive glint in his eye. Skimming your hands lightly down to his chest, you grabbed hold of the rims of his shirt and slowly started to tug it up. Vergil let you, although he was watching your every move quietly, and when you lifted his shirt off and placed it to the side, you started focusing on his pants, unbuckling the belt and pulling it free. Once removed, he nudged his legs apart slightly and let you unzip them and you settled down into his lap again, slowly easing yourself over him. Vergil was still gazing at you, his eyes soft yet wanting, before he brought you in for a kiss. Finding his arousal, you tugged your pants to the side and guided himself inside you, closing your eyes and emitting a mewl of satisfaction.

For a brief moment you thought of nothing else but Vergil inside you; how warm he was and how he filled you up entirely. Breathing heavily, you slowly drew your hands to his shoulders, feeling his flush muscles underneath your palms. He held you keenly, his hands slowly and gently caressing over your waist in lazy circles. "[Y/N]..." He groaned, as you started to move your hips.

Quietly, you focused on undulating your body against his in a lazy but sensual pattern until he was panting and you were still holding him, clutching his shoulders and soon he leaned forwards, his face buried into your nape. The rocking of the boat seemed to be helping, providing a rhythm for you to both follow, your bodies moving together in unison. "Mmm...Vergil..." You moaned, as he slid in deeper and deeper with each lull of your hips accompanied with his own thrusts. His hands were beginning to explore, sliding from your waist to your ass and the sides of your legs and to your breasts, slipping his hand under the flimsy material of your bikini, he cupped your breasts in his palms and squeezed your nipples, fondling them meticulously.

And when he was about to come, you could feel his thrusts becoming more powerful, more determined and his fingers clamping down firmly on your hips; you heard Vergil emit a soft grunt and you found your own pleasure following after a few more thrusts and you rode out the waves, gasping and simpering as you clung to him, squeezing your eyes shut as you were overcome with unflinching ecstasy. All you could do was moan his name out breathlessly, dragging in air through your gritted teeth. Vergil took your face in his hands, crushing his lips against yours rather forcefully before moving his lips to the side of your face, your ear.

"You're mine, [Y/N]." He whispered, " _Mine_."

...

"Dad, I'm home."

"Nnngh...mmnn...what?" came dad's groggy voice from the lounge. Sounds like he just woke up from a long nap...

You went inside the lounge to see dad on the chair, rubbing his eyes and yawning groggily. Going to the window, you peeped outside to see Vergil gazing at you from his car. You smiled and waved at him; he returned your smile fondly. He'd driven you home again, although as soon as he drove into your shabby neighbourhood he voiced his concern (again) about your safety should you continue staying here. Since this was your home, you politely declined his offer to stay at his mansion but you knew you'd be going to his house a lot following recent events regardless.

After waving him off, you watched as Vergil drove out of the main road in his expensive black car. You noticed his car had a customized 'V' on it, which was identical to the one on his boat. Giggling to yourself, you left the window, turning to your father. His eyes were rather bloodshot and crusts of dried drool dotted his chin and the corners of his mouth. He looked at you head to toe, then said, "Where were you?"

"I don't need to tell you where I go."

"...Got a phonecall in the afternoon." He grunted, "...Diner and club said you quit your job. Is that true?"

"Huh? I didn't quit work. Why would I?"

"Some guy had called, saying that you had quit and were no longer gonna be working there."

You couldn't help but splutter. "But who - " You only stopped because you could feel your phone vibrating in your pocket and you pulled it out to see your screen flashing, indicating a message from Vergil. It said: "Check your bank account". Confused, you quickly logged in online to your bank only for your eyes to widen. The numbers in your account had increased significantly to a five figure sum.

Stunned, you threw your gaze to your dad, who was looking at you strangely. "What?" He said, but all you could do was emit a choked gasp of surprise.

Exiting the living room, you made a beeline upstairs into your room. You called Vergil and it rung for a while and you didn't think he would pick up but then -

"[Y/N]?"

"Vergil!" You exclaimed, "My bank - "

"Yes, I deposited that amount into your account."

"How on earth am I supposed to repay you?"

"Simple. You don't have to."

At a loss, you stammered out, "But why? You didn't have to....Vergil..."

"I want to, [Y/N]." He said, "I want to."

This was too much. You hung up after exchanging a few words, feeling a little unsure. You should call Jade... You had so much to tell her. From the ball, to staying in Vergil's house, his boat... Although this part regarding money, you might omit. Picking up your phone, you hastily dialled her number only to go straight to answer machine.

 _Oh well_ , you thought, shrugging.

You would tell Jade later.

...

_"I've done the best I can to heal her. She will be able to see perfectly. Forgive me, Ernest, I didn't realize she was in the studio."_

_"No, we are sorry for not keeping a close eye on her, Madam. It won't happen again."_

_You could hear voices; opening your eyes with a groan, you could see Madame, mom and dad. "Mommy...? Daddy?" You said, rubbing your eyes, only for dad to slap you across the face sharply. You cried out whilst mom rushed to your side, clutching you tightly in her arms as you wailed._

_"Ernest! What is wrong with you?!" Mom exclaimed and you wailed; although dad ignored you, he was pointing at you angrily._

_"She went into Madame Eva's office even though I told her not to!"_

_"She's just a child!"_

_Clutching your cheek, you started sobbing loudly. Madame joined your left. "[Y/N], go play with Dante and Vergil, hm?"_

_Nodding, the two women let go of you and you stumbled out of their embrace and shakily went down the stairs, passing a few servants; you made your way towards the back door; opening it, you meandered into the garden and stopped at the trunk of a large tree and craned your head up where a large treehouse sat atop precariously amongst a tangle of thick branches._

_"...Dante? Vergil...? Are you there?" You said, still hiccuping and crying with an ugly red mark on your face._

_There was a brief silence until you saw two familiar little boys poke their heads out of the window of the treehouse - one with dark hair and the other with snowy-white hair. "[Y/N]?" said the dark-haired one._

_"It's the puny human." said the white-haired boy._

_"Can I play with you?" You asked._

_"No. Go away." said the white-haired one as you snivelled. Pointing to a painted sign outside, he added, "No Humans Allowed."_

_"Pleeeeeeeeease, Vergil?"_

_"Verge, we can let her in." said the dark haired boy. "She looks hurt."_

_Both boys suddenly disappeared from your view and you thought they wouldn't let you in until a few minutes later, the hatch door opened and a rickety rope ladder was flung down for your taking. Glancing up, you saw the dark-haired one inside smiling at you whilst the white-haired boy on the other hand, looked very terribly displeased with your presence._

_"Thanks, Dante." You said, grabbing hold of one of the rungs._


	9. The New Home

* * *

**THE NEW HOME**

* * *

 ...

...

...

"Jade... C'mon, pick up...pick up, pick up, pick up...God, Jade, pick up the damn phone!"

Jade's phone rang out and you let out an annoyed sigh. Seriously...where was the hapless girl? This was your sixth or seventh time attempting to call and she still did not pick up or call you back or reply to your messages. In fact, when you checked your messenger app, you looked at the read receipts and discovered that the girl hadn't read any of your texts. You thought it was strange because she was always on her phone 24/7 and would answer in a heartbeat. Perhaps she was with Dante. You remembered prior their breakup she disappeared for days on end, mostly preoccupied with the dark haired customer outside of working hours. You put away your phone, sighing in defeat. Maybe you should go to her house later and check if she is okay.

At the present, however, you were busy packing your bags and your small suitcase and when you had finally finished, you glanced at your room. Since you had very few belongings, there was practically nothing left except your furniture. Sighing, you turned and left your tiny room, closing the door behind you, going down the stairs to see dad standing at the bookshelf, peering at a few family photographs.

Hearing you come down the stairs, he turned round only to get an eyeful of you carrying your bags and the suitcase. "What are you doing?" He uttered.

A lump got stuck in your throat as you were somewhat nervous and anxious, but you steeled your nerves and replied, "I'm leaving."

"Leaving?"

"I don't want to live here anymore. Not with you."

"What are you saying?" Dad said, sounding very confused.

There was a brief silence.

"I know exactly what I am saying," You said firmly. "For years, you have abused me. I let you call me names, I let you hit me, I let you make me feel worthless and stupid. You've never been a father to me, but I stayed because I didn't know any better and I didn't know what else to do for I was scared and I had no-one. But now I am no longer afraid and I know that I can't _stand_ to stay in this house one second any longer, especially with you in it. You make me sick. Everything about you makes me _sick_."

Dad looked stunned. "[Y/N], I...you don't understand - "

"And I've met someone: Vergil. He has shown more care for me than you have in the last ten years so I'll be living with him from now on." You added.

A few moments passed and there was a disconcerting silence in the living room except from the loud ticking emitting from the clock on the wall and you and your dad were staring awkwardly at one another until he started shaking his head. "...Vergil?" He muttered shakily under his breath, and you could see his complexion suddenly turning ashen. "...No. No...No," Becoming a little frantic, he suddenly started to bellow, much to your surprise, "NO! Not him. Anyone but him!"

Your brows furrowed in confusion. "Wh...what are you talking about?"

Desperate, dad took a few steps towards you but ultimately his weight was preventing him from moving any faster, "Don't go to him, [Y/N]! Your mother, Elise, that night they came and they - and I told you to run and - "

You let out a scoff in response to his nonsensical rambling.

Without hesitating any longer, you quickly opened the front door and hopped outside, slamming it shut behind you and heading down the small steps, onto the dirty desolate street. You were a few blocks down when you heard the front door open and your dad was there screaming after you, "NO! [Y/N], nooo! Don't go to him, you're under his spell! It's what he wants! It's what he's wanted all along! _NOOOOOO_!"

...

"Jade? It's me again. Where've you been? Are you okay? I've been trying to call you several times now and you haven't picked up or responded to my messages. I've left home and I'll be staying with Vergil from now on. I've already asked him and he's fine with it. Give me a call back when you can, okay?"

You hung up after leaving the message; you had mulled over the fact that your bank now held a hell lot money than it had ever before for the past three-something years, courtesy of Vergil, your new rich and shiny boyfriend and you had decided to leave home. At first, you wondered how you were supposed to accept the money. Were you supposed to? Or were you to scream at Vergil and tell him you didn't need his charity? But you didn't get the feeling that he was pitying you. Vergil didn't give you this because he felt sorry for you. Vergil was doing so much for you and at such little cost. Or none, you corrected yourself, virtually none. Unless he'd turn round and pull off a Christian Grey and you'd end up being tied up in his sex dungeon for the remainder of your days or something like that.

 _No way, mustn't think that way of him_ , you thought, your nose scrunching up in disgust. _Vergil is a gentleman._

Considering he gave you gifts in the form of the silver heels and dress which were now yours to keep (and would also fetch a pretty sum should you decide to sell them), maybe this sort of thing wasn't out of the ordinary of Vergil after all. Maybe he was used to bestowing such lavish gifts to his family, companions and other loved ones. Now that you didn't have to work at the diner, the first thing you did was head to the bank and you paid off the remaining debts your dad owed as one final favor. Then you paid off the remaining of your medical fees and bills, and finally, you paid off this month's rent. To your surprise, you still had lots of cash left. Maybe you could get yourself something nice...

Or maybe not.

You made your way to Vergil's manor; he was expecting you and it was getting late. Excitement bubbled inside you that you were on edge and virtually on the brink of feeling sick, your stomach full of butterflies. You could hardly contain yourself. When you approached the gates they opened for you automatically and you made your way past his luxurious, swimming pool-sized lawn and up to the elaborate front doors which opened and there stood Sitri with her hands gently clasped over her lap. She looked the same albeit in a different maid costume - now she looked like some kind of Victorian Governess - with her long black hair and straight cut bangs, those dull sunken complexion, the dark beady eyes and the narrow, thin chin.

"Hello, Sitri." You said, to which she bowed at you politely.

"Good evening, mi'lady. Master Vergil awaits you. I shall escort you to him; please leave your bags here and follow me please." She said. As the doors closed behind you, you left your bags as instructed and trailed after the servant wordlessly across the hall and up the stairs and through some twisting, turning corridors. However, all of a sudden she stopped rather abruptly and you peered over to see none other than Vergil standing at the banister. "Master Vergil." Her voice held no tone, not even a hint of surprise at his sudden appearance from out of the blue.

He had been staring at you with a cool glint in his eye, but then averted his gaze to her. "Sitri. Thank you for bringing [Y/N] to me. Take her belongings to her room."

She hesitated somewhat but then finally, a tiny yet shrewd smile formed on her weary face. "Very well..." Then she gave a small curtsy with her head low and bowed, retreating away down the stairs, away from the both of you. "I will inform you when dinner is ready."

You looked away from Sitri to Vergil. He was dressed plainly in a black shirt and denims, but he looked positively attractive. "Vergil!"

"Welcome home, _mi'lady._ " He murmured, and you proceeded to throw your arms around him. He wrapped his arms around you in response, before taking one of your hands and lifting the back of your palm to his lips, kissing your knuckles affectionately.

"Vergil, I did it." You said breathlessly, as he kissed your hand all over, "I left home. You were right; why was I so stupid all these years? How could I have stayed and let myself suffer like that?"

In response, Vergil kissed you on the cheek lightly. "You will suffer no more. This will be your home from now on." And you hugged him tighter and he brushed some hair from your eyes. "I need to show you something."

"What?"

"It's a surprise." Vergil let go of you and you did the same; he guided you to stand in front of him before he protruded out a black silk tie from his shirt pocket, causing you to raise your eyebrows. "May I?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

He reached forwards and pulled the material over your eyes, fastening it tightly behind your head. Your vision went dark immediately and you swallowed as you felt Vergil's hand take your own, giving your fingers an affectionate squeeze. "This way."

With Vergil guiding you further down the hall, you blindly walked and walked until you were wondering what was becoming of this until finally, he stopped. You heard and saw nothing. "...Vergil?"

You felt him kiss your hand again and then he simply let go; his hand leaving yours and you were left on your own to stand in the darkness and silence.

"...Vergil?" You tried again, swallowing down the lump in your throat.

When you heard a creaking noise, you blinked behind the blindfold, full of uncertainty as the noise grew stronger and stronger and you were aware that he was opening a door. Strong but gentle arms wrapped around your shoulders next, goading you to walk once more. You took small steps forward, understanding that Vergil had returned to your side, his breathing soft and warm on your ear. You felt the crisp hardness of floorboards under the soles of your feet and then the blindfold was pulled from your eyes. You found yourself standing in the middle of a room with decor that resembled a dance studio with a large hi-fi system to the left, a piano and various ballet barres.

You said, "What is this?"

"A dance studio." He said, approaching you. He took your hand, wrapping an arm around your shoulder to show you around the room. The room's walls were mirrors entirely, your reflections everywhere. You stared at your confused reflection and glanced at him. Noticing your stunned expression, he chuckled, "I built this for you."

"...O-oh." You muttered.

"You told me you used to dance and I'm aware you stopped, but I hope this will change your mind." He murmured in your ear, "You can practise here whenever you like."

Swallowing down the lump in your throat slightly, you said, "This is lovely, Vergil. Thank you." Although deep inside, you doubted that you would take up dancing again. You were promptly brought out of your thoughts when Vergil's hand slid down to your waist whilst the other grabbed hold of your hand and he moved you into a standing position which you were all too familiar with.

As you blinked blankly at him as he made you put one hand on his shoulder and he took your waist, he said, "I don't believe we had the chance to dance a second time at the ball that day."

"Oh, alright, go on then." You said with a smile, and Vergil started leading you across the space of the dance studio in a slow waltz. "Wait, there's no music." You pointed out, but Vergil merely chuckled.

He let go of you quickly to clap his hands and then the hi-fi switched on, causing you to leap slightly as gentle and slow music began to emit from the speakers that were affixed to each corner of the room.

You clung to him. "Vergil, this is...perfect. Why did you do this?"

Vergil kissed your hands warmly again. "I will give you everything and anything you want. _Anything._ Just tell me, and it's yours."

Your heart leapt in your ribs, lurching painfully and at the same time, your breath became hitched in your throat. Slowly, you reached for his cheek, stroking his jaw... and when you leaned forwards, he did too, your lips meeting. But then there was a loud knock on the door and you broke apart from the interruption but your faces lingered close, Vergil's warm breath fanning over your cheeks.

"...Yes?" He said tiredly, sounding a little displeased.

"Master. We received an urgent phonecall for you downstairs." You recognized it was Sitri's voice.

You could hear him sigh next. "...Alright." Gazing at you, his husky murmur came out low from the back of his throat, "I'll be back, [Y/N]."

"Okay."

He pressed a quick kiss on your lips which made you wanting more, but alas he exited the room and you were left on your own in the studio. The music continued. You wanted to pause it and resume when Vergil returned, so assuming it followed the same instructions, you clapped your hands and it switched off automatically.

The studio fell silent.

Standing in the very centre, you stared at your reflection. Vergil had constructed a dance studio for you. Just for you...because he knew how much you liked dancing. Moving towards the mirror at the far end of the room, you placed your hand over the glass, feeling the coolness under your palms. It was then you saw the archaic oak wardrobe with the little horizontal slits on the doors behind you, standing in the very middle. Cocking your head, you turned round, your gaze landing on the oversized cupboard that stood on its own. It's old design stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of the hi-tech equipment Vergil had supplied for you.

 _Looks familiar._.. you thought as you approached it.

You opened it carefully one drawer at a time and discovered it to be empty but large. Large enough for a child to climb inside and not be detected. Perfect for hiding. You closed the doors shut quietly.

_**...[Y/N]...** _

You blinked; a strange, slithery voice had clearly whispered your name from within the studio.

_**...Come closer...** _

Whipping your head round, you saw none other inside the studio except yourself.

**_Closer..._ **

"Who's there? Who said that?" You said loudly. "Whoever it is, cut it out right now."

_**Don't you remember...?** _

Your chest felt tight, as though some invisible grip had seized you. Your blood had turned cold, your hair rising on end. The voice was emitting from the cupboard. You could only stare at it blankly until you made a move forwards, your fingers reaching for the handle - but then the door to the studio creaked open loudly, causing you to jump out of your skin as Vergil returned.

"[Y/N], would you like to - " He paused when he spotted you at the closet, shaking somewhat.

"Vergil." You croaked out.

"Ah. That was my mother's." He replied. "I managed to salvage it from our old mansion."

"Salvaged?"

"This manor hasn't always been my home." He explained, joining your side and slipping his arm around your shoulder. You clung to him, wrapping your hands around his arm and staying close. He seemed oblivious to your fear. "I lived in the far side of Limbo City by the west coast when I was a child. Myself, my mother and father, my brother. And our servants, including this one family and their young daughter."

You watched him silently as he spoke; although you were listening, you were glancing around the room worriedly.

"Our mansion fell into ruin one terrible night and I never set foot inside for the next ten or so years. Imagine my surprise when I returned to face my demons and I saw and found this in my mother's dance studio, utterly untouched and still in pristine condition." Vergil murmured, "So I had it brought here and I found many of my mother's old gowns and ballet shoes within for she was an avid dancer herself. I had the cupboard restored and here it will stay from now on, with a new owner. You."

"Me? Oh, well...T-thank you, Vergil." You blurted out and he smiled at you, drew you into his embrace and you shared a kiss. "What about your phonecall?"

"It's finished." He uttered, "Shall we go downstairs? Dinner is ready."

"Yes, please." You said hurriedly.

As you left the studio, you threw one last look over your shoulder, at the reflections of yourself and Vergil. You expected to see something... But nothing happened.

Were you imagining things?

...

After dinner, you were sitting in a plush loveseat in one of Vergil's many verandas overlooking his marvellous back garden with a cup of hot coffee in hands when you heard Vergil approaching you from behind. Standing behind the coach, he leaned over you and his hands slid down your arms warmly and you turned, just to meet his lips. When you pulled away, you smiled and he smiled too.

"Join me." You murmured, taking him by the arm and gently tugging him towards your direction as you sat upright, placing the coffee mug on the table in front of you. "It's so peaceful and relaxing here. You really do have a beautiful home."

Vergil moved to sit down beside you as you had requested and you snuggled into his side as he draped his arm around your shoulder. You caressed the bottom of his chin, fingers smoothing over his rugged jawline delicately. As he took your hand and kissed your fingers gently, his other grip on your shoulder tightened; it was a very protective and affectionate gesture.

"It's strange." You muttered.

"What is?"

"I thought I would regret this."

"What do you mean?"

"I've run away from home."

He shook his head slowly. "No, that is not true. You are free to return to your father whenever you wish. Do you want that, [Y/N]?"

Now it was your turn to shake your head. "No. You've made me realize. I never want to step foot in that house ever again." You murmured, and there was a smirk blossoming on his face. He seemed proud at your revelation.

"And what did you do with the money?" He murmured.

You gave him a sideways glance. "Paid off my medical stuff, paid the rent, and I also paid off my father's debts."

"Debts?"

"Yes. He owed people a lot of money from gambling. He's stopped now...mainly because he's too fat to get off his couch." As you laughed weakly, you noticed Vergil's stoic expression and cleared your throat. "But it's all good now. No more scary, intimidating men banging on our doors screaming for money. No more threats over the phone, no more horrible words being sprayed or painted over the walls of our house."

"I'm glad I was able to provide that for you."

"Mm...well...Vergil..."

"What about your mother? I trust she is well?"

Your face fell somewhat. "My mother passed away a long time ago."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I don't remember her."

He mused to himself for a while. "I am the same. I don't quite remember my mother well." Changing the subject at hand, he cleared his throat, "And do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"None, just me."

Vergil pondered briefly then said, "Did you buy yourself anything nice?"

"Nope. I haven't bought myself anything nice. Yet." You finished, blinking at him, before you grinned widely.

He smoothed your hair with his large palm and as you chuckled, you rolled over to him and proceeded to climb into his lap as you did many times and quite unreservedly so, moving to settle over his knees whilst he took your chin and kissed you. Vergil's kisses were always light but full of passion as though wanting to take more of you in each time your lips would meet. You needn't say it but you adored Vergil no matter how many surprises he threw your way...you adored everything about him. He was so special to you in so many ways. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you kissed him but he pressed his mouth against yours harder, pressing his lips over yours again and again hungrily, full of need and want.

"Vergil." You uttered as you buried your fingers into his hair; you were trying to get some form of words out in edgeways as you kissed, "Mmm...Vergil - "

"...Yes?" He said, pulling away from you and you were free to speak.

"Why are you so good to me?"

He traced your bottom lip with his thumb, your faces millimetres apart. "Because you are very precious to me and I don't want to lose you." He murmured, and that took you off guard and you went quiet. "It's getting cold. We should head inside." He muttered, and you nodded. Vergil guided you out of the veranda and inside the manor, your new home from now on.

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was wanting to write about the abuse the reader suffered at the hands of father over the years but I honestly don't want to and I am not brave enough, so I've just decided reader will leave calmly after finally being given some sense of freedom thanks to Vergil.
> 
> Also I love the song “west coast” by Lana Del Rey, it fits perfectly with this fic :)


	10. The Doll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Hope you're well. OMG! DMC5 is so awesome...V is so awesome... I really want to write a fic about him!!!!! But first I wanna finish Grimdark. Things are really starting to get trippy in this fic!
> 
> I wanna say a HUGE thanks to those who have been keeping up with the fic, and thanks for the comments!! I have yet to reply but will do so now. 
> 
> Warnings for M stuff in this chapter.

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**THE DOLL**

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...

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...

_"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to [Y/N]! Happy birthday to you!"_

_You're in a dark room where the only light is from the tiny flame of the candle that was stuck on top of your cake. Cheering and applause erupted into the atmosphere after the song and you glanced around the table before settling your eyes on the large cake in front of you. Closing your eyes, you hurriedly made a wish to eat all the candy in the world and that someone would give you a pony, and then you re-opened your eyes, blowing the candle out. More cheering followed your action and you were lifted up into the air._

_"What did you wish for, honey?" asked mommy as she propped you up in her arms; dad left the table to switch the light back on revealing a small lounge, decorated with various multicoloured balloons, banners, streamers and letters spelling your name which have been hung on the wall._

_"Nuh-uh, I can't tell or else it won't come true!" was your cheerful reply._

_Giggling, the woman carried you over to the lounge where a bundle of presents were piled up together on the floor in a modest heap. "Look! Look what Madame Eva and Master Sparda got for you! Say thank you, dear. Say thank you."_

_In the background, you hear: "Oh, Elise, it's nothing..."_

_"Thank you madame! Master Sparda!" You belted out regardless and you could hear chuckling as two figures moved to stand in front of you. A man and woman. They were a couple. The owners of this manor; they were young, but rich. And they had two sons - twin boys who were slightly older than you. One was called Dante and one was Vergil. The woman, Madame Eva, had beautiful red hair, a heart-shaped, kind face and the most wondrous smile in the world... and the man, well...although young, had fair hair and a pale complexion and carried an air of grace around him._

_"The boys have something for you too. Go on, Dante, you go first." The red-haired woman gestured to the dark-haired boy standing by her left who was holding a box that was a little too big for him. Glancing at you, he held it up for your taking._

_"Happy birthday, [Y/N]." He said._

_"Thanks, Dante!"_

_"Vergil, didn't you get a present for [Y/N] too?" said Madame, although when she glanced to her right, she noticed the other twin was missing from his spot. "...Vergil?"_

_In the corner, a white-haired little boy stood with his arms crossed, glaring at your direction._

_"Come on, Vergil. It's [Y/N]'s birthday today. Don't you want to give her your gift?"_

_"No." He snapped. "I didn't get her anything. She's a worthless little human. This is stupid."_ _And then he scowled at you from his spot by the bookshelf, turned and grabbed a random book off the shelf and proceeded to leave the room._

_"Vergil, come back!"_

_As you watched Madame Eva follow after the not-so-cooperative twin, mom settled you down on the ground and you and Dante sat opposite each other, leaving the adults to their own business._ _Vergil's absence didn't bother you at all. You never liked him and he didn't like you either. He didn't like you under the same roof as him and he certainly didn't want you playing with him or his brother. Despite being twins, Dante was so different compared to Vergil._

_"What is it?" You asked, giving the box a little shake._

_"Open it and you'll find out." Dante said with a wide grin._

_"Okay." You ripped away the wrapping paper (Madame Eva must've helped him with it), and soon you discovered that it was a box with a beautiful porcelain, Victorian-style doll on the cover. You screamed in glee as you hurriedly opened the box, ripping the tape away, pulling the doll out of the box. She was very large, the length of your entire arm and also rather heavy, that you had to carry her with both your hands. You stared at it in awe, brushing your fingertips over her smooth, rounded face._

_It was a doll in a maid costume, with long black hair and straight bangs._

_"A Sitri doll!" You squealed. "How did you know?"_

_And Dante said, "Actually, Vergil mentioned that he heard you talking to your mom that you wanted one."_

_"Huh? .....Vergil?"_

_"Yeah." Dante said, grinning widely now, "I think he likes you."_

...

You were lying on your back in the four poster bed; you shared this bed with Vergil now and he was on top, missionary position, thrusting into you hard. Usually he is gentle with you but he could also be rough when he wanted to be. You moaned and clutched onto the board behind your head with one hand and the other was wrapped around him. You tried to focus your gaze on the ceiling as the columns shook and the curtains trembled but all you could really concentrate on was the man who was moving on top of you. Moaning, you arched your back into his chest as he held your legs in place, slamming inside you.

Soon, you were reaching the peak and you started moaning even louder, digging your nails into his flesh. You bit down on your lip, squeezing your eyes shut whilst his thrusts intensified and he bucked his hips violently against yours and he came undone, filling you up inside with his seed and when it was over, he collapsed over you whilst you panted and heaved, riding the waves of the orgasm as they took over your body.

His muscles in his back were tense and you let go of the board to wrap your arms around him, kissing the side of his face. You wrapped your legs around him and he slowly started kissing you on the neck. Chuckling, you started stroking his hair, closing your eyes as your body thrummed all over with pleasure until Vergil slipped out of you and turned you over so you were now lying on your stomach.

"Vergil?" You started, as your felt his large warm hand trace down your spine and to the curve of your ass before lifting one of your legs into a bend over the mattress. He planted a gentle kiss on your bare shoulder and you could feel him leaning over you.

"Are you tired?" He murmured in your ear.

"...No." You mumbled, closing your eyes and trying to get comfortable.

"Good." He entered you from behind in one slick thrust and you opened your mouth in a quiet gasp, brows furrowing as you gripped the sheets tightly under your fingertips.

"Ah..." You managed to moan out softly as he started thrusting inside you again, his hand caressed the side of your ass and gripped your thigh, making you move with him whilst the other hand slipped underneath you to grasp your breast, kneading your flesh with his fingers and squeezing firmly. "Oh...Vergil...Don't stop..."

Kissing your shoulder, he controlled the rhythm, bucking his hips up and down and grinding against your ass. His thick cock slipped in and out, so hot and slick, so wet, the tip of his cock hitting your womb, rubbing up and down your velvet walls with each slick thrust. You emitted another moan at the extortionate pleasure that was building stronger and stronger and you were complete putty under his hands, your body turning into jelly as you achieved another orgasm and you dropped over the bed, exhausted. Your walls were still squeezing him as you lost yourself to the unimaginable pleasure that had taken over your body.

Vergil remained on top, circling his hands over your shoulders and brushing your hair away. You could feel his lips over your bare skin, his lips were like a hot brand, claiming every inch of you. "I love you..." He was murmuring in your ear, "[Y/N], I love you..."

You chuckled as he nuzzled you; you could feel him smiling too. Although this was your room, Vergil was sharing it with you from now on. This was becoming the norm. He would leave for his work during the day and return at night, slipping into your bed and making passionate love to you. This was your daily regime since you moved into Vergil's mansion. You were definetely not complaining; you were living the high life and Vergil treated you like a queen... Although he would ask you everyday if you had stepped foot into the dance studio he had provided you with and he would always ask if you had started dancing, but you had always shook your head and said no, because you weren't ready. But then you would see this distant look in his eyes in response to your answer but then it would quickly disappear, and you would shrug it off and go back to your normal life - waking up with Vergil spooning you, having sex, eating breakfast, watching TV or reading, writing or painting something.

You could feel Vergil stroking your hair and opening your eyes, you smiled at him and proceeded to push yourself off the mattress using your arms to sit up; the duvet pooled at your waist as Vergil followed your action and pulled you into his lap instead, propping you upright but you wriggled out of his hold because you wanted to go to the bathroom to freshen up and although there was an ensuite in your room, you wanted to go out for a walk. Vergil was leaning over and kissing you on the cheek, making you chuckle and you pulled away and slipped out of his embrace.

Vergil was watching you from the bed as you flashed him a brief smile. "I'll be right back." You said, donning your night robe and leaving the room, into the dark, cold corridor.

You managed to head down one corridor and passed the closed door which held the dance studio when suddenly you noticed the atmosphere had decidedly become chillier and the floor beneath you was not Vergil's lush red carpet but dirty, brown stone drenched in a red substance and you glanced around your surroundings.

Either your mind was playing tricks on you but suddenly the corridor didn't quite look like the corridor in Vergil's mansion. Instead, you saw a decayed and dilapidated hall before you, flaked in red. The paintings were either tarnished or on the floor, the glass shattered and the canvasses, ripped. The wooden banisters were destroyed and pointed stokes stuck out in dangerous angles.

"Vergil?" You croaked out, and you turned round on your heel only to see nothing else but equally derelict surroundings before you. Confused, you turned to the dance studio only to see that the door was broken and inside you could see that it was the same room except there were more furniture which was mangled, upturned, the drapes ripped and the carpet covered in long gashes, not to mention, there was blood everywhere.

The only thing that was untouched was the cupboard, facing you.

Cocking your head to your side, you wonder why the cupboard seemed unchanged but suddenly the cupboard door began to open slowly - a hand emerged, pale and long fingers curling out - causing you to emit a startled shriek and in your shock, you tripped over your feet and tumbled to the ground. Whipping your head up, you gawked at the cupboard again.

The door was closed.

No hand.

You rubbed your eyes in disbelief.

It was then you heard an inhuman sounding hiss emitting from around the corner and your hair stood on end. You heard a low, painful creak, followed by a metallic screeching noise and you winced, your ears feeling as though they might bleed. Following that was a terrible wailing and crying in the distance, muffled, and definitely belonging to an infant. What was that? You could hear footsteps accompanying each disjointed noise, tottering down the hall towards you. Your eyes widening in fear, you backed away when whatever it was finally emerged into sight and there you saw it - the most horrendous, pasty-white humanoid, some sort of meat-sack creature with a black inky substance oozing out from its body made its way towards you, breathing raggedly whilst twitching and convulsing the entire time. What was meant to be its head was a swollen, undiscernible blob that was convulsing violently.

However, as quickly as you saw it, there was a flash before your eyes and everything was back to normal - you had returned to the mansion.

"Mi'lady?"

You blinked once. Twice. Three times. Then you settled your gaze on the rigid figure before you. "...Sitri?"

The gloomy girl stood before you with her hands clasped together. "Are you alright?"

There was a silence.

"...Mi'lady?" She tried again.

"Um...could...could you help me up?"

She looked away with a half-hearted sigh. "Apologies... I'm not allowed to touch mi'lady.... Master's orders. Dreadfully sorry..."

"Um...right." With that, you awkwardly and slowly stood up, your ankles burning with pain.

"Are you okay, mi'lady?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I've been calling mi'lady three times but you did not respond. It looked like you were in a trance."

"I'm fine, Sitri. But I...er...I thought I saw...never mind, just my eyes playing tricks on me. I must be very tired."

"Indeed...It is late, mi'lady... You best be in bed."

Nodding, you swallowed down the lump in your throat and disappeared down the corridor, back to your room. You flung open the door and closed it behind you. Vergil was lying on his side in the four poster bed, eyes closed. You were sure he was not asleep when you climbed back in and lay beside him. Usually, he spooned you. This time, you crept closer to him and wrapped your arms around him tightly, trying to forget what you had just witnessed.

...

"Hello? Jade?"

" _Who's this?_ "

"...Where's Jade?"

" _Sorry, I think you've got the wrong number_."

**BEEP.**

What the hell?

The other person on the other line hung up and you stared at your phone in disbelief. But...this was Jade's number...it was saved down on your phone...you'd always called and messaged this number... _it was Jade's number...?_ You tried again, pressing the touchscreen with a frown. It rang for a few seconds, and then - 

" _Hello?_ " 

It was the same voice again.

"Can I speak to Jade?"

" _Didn't you just call a few seconds ago? I told you, you got the wrong number._ " The voice was beginning to sound impatient now.

"But - "

" _Listen, lady. This is the Limbo City Retirement Home -_ "

"Huh?!"

As the voice continued to explain, you grew more and more confused. Somehow Jade's number had become the number of Limbo City's home for old people...

....

Vergil was at work and you didn't tell him anything about what happened nor what you saw last night... alluding that you were probably having some kind of bad dream albeit even convincing yourself of that was rather difficult... and unfortunately you had to walk past the same corridor again today. You passed the door that led to the dance studio, and it was a big black steel door which stuck out like a sore thumb amongst Vergil's interior decor, and you stopped and stared at the door for a few seconds until you walked forwards, grabbing the door handle.

The door creaked on its hinges and you pushed open the door.

It was dark.

Flipping the switch, the lights went on one by one and you shuffled in and stood in the middle of the room, staring at your numerous reflections in the mirror of each three walls. Turning round slowly, your gaze landed on the cupboard.

That old cupboard, which used to belong to Vergil's mother, who was dead.

Goddamnit...the more you thought about it, the more you were beginning to hate it... Why the fuck did it give you such a creepy feeling...and why the hell did Vergil decide to put it here, and gift it to you? Along with this dance studio? You appreciated the thought, but still...

Your breathing became a little laborious as you continued gawking at the cupboard. It just gave you such chills, such a bad feeling in the gut. It was just standing there, immobile. How could an inanimate object give you such unease? You walked towards it, planting your hand over the smooth but old, sculpted wood. Swallowing down, you opened one of the doors followed by the next and stared inside the large empty space.

Big enough to hide a small child...

Climbing inside, you tucked your knees to your chest so you would be able to sit properly and reached for the doors. It was dark inside but small beams of light streamed in from the light of the studio outside. The moment you closed the doors however and -

_"Eva! Eva, where are the children?"_

_"Sparda! I-I don't know, they must be downstairs - "_

_"Stay here and wait for me, I'll go find them!"_

_"Sparda, wait!"_

A piercing, bloodcurdling scream tore through the atmosphere following the sounds of the clashing, frantic voices that had appeared from nowhere, and then there was a pressure on the back of your neck - something cold, something long... _fingers_? And you screamed, tumbling out of the cupboard and dropping to the floor, breathing shakily whilst clutching your neck.

"Oh my." said a voice, and you jerked in fright and glanced over to see none other than Sitri standing at the open doorway, holding a feather duster in hands. "Are you alright, mi'lady?"

"Sitri!" You exclaimed. "Did you see that? Did you...did you hear that?!"

She did not blink. "Hear and see what, mi'lady?" She asked, as you glanced around the room nervously, clutching at one side of your head. You were shaking and trembling. You wanted to leave, right now. Sitri proceeded to step towards you, her feet treading softly over the floorboards. "Oh my...you're as white as a sheet, mi'lady...dear, oh dear...what happened?"

It took a while until you were able to regain your composure, but even then you were still a quaking, ashen-faced mess. Attempting to get off the floor, you try to stand but your feet just wouldn't obey and your legs refused to move. "Sitri...please help me up?"

You sensed her slight hesitation but as you sat there crumpled and sniffling, terrified beyond belief, Sitri finally stepped closer and then, she slowly reached down and wrapped her hand around your wrist and pulled you up. Her strength was startling. Your eyebrows furrowed tightly in disbelief when her fingers curled over yours. Her hand was...hard. Her fingers were stiff. You'd expected some form of softness from flesh. But you were surprised to find none of the sort.

Her hand was cold and stiff.

Throwing a quick glance to her hand from the corner of her eye, it's then you see that her glove has slipped further down from her wrist than usual and you see a tiny little, thin black line over her flesh and her hand and wrist looked awkward. Her hand was bent slightly in an unnatural angle from her wrist. It looked like a joint...

_The kind that...belongs to a doll?_

Immediately, Sitri let go once you were back onto your feet. You did your best to keep your confusion buried deep within you. The gloomy maid gave you a little curtsy in response after her task, closing her eyes. "....Please excuse me, mi'lady. I must return to the kitchen."

Nodding, you could only watch wordlessly as she departed from the studio, leaving you confused and frightened.

...

 


End file.
